Prior to making this I have never, heard, made or ate Panna Cotta. I was scanning the web looking for something interesting to make and I came across a photo of a cooked version. It looked so good I had to figure out a raw version. Although I used strawberries it came out a beautiful purple color that fits the blackberries well. I was worried about using the flax seeds. At first I soaked two tablespoons of flax seeds in hopes of capturing the "gelatin" surrounding the seeds without getting the seeds. But there was near impossible. So I decided to grind the seeds in my handy dandy coffee grinder and take my chances. I wanted the gelatin powers of the flax without the flavor. I think it gelled pretty well. Of course, the food can't just be beautiful it has to taste good. So that's where the kids come in. My 7-year-old is easy anything with berries and sweet she's game for. My 2-year-old son is the picky one. So when he ate one panna cotta (sans berries) I knew for sure I had a winning dish.Blackberry Compote6 oz blackberries2 T agave nectar1/8 t sea salt
Marinate blackberries in agave nectar and sea salt in the refrigerator for two hours (overnight is best).
Place two 4-inch springform pan (without the bottoms) in the freezer on top of saucer plates or dessert plates. Chill for an hour.
Strawberry Panna Cotta1 c strawberries, cleaned and stemmedJuice of 1 lemon 1/4 t sea salt
Marinate strawberries in lemon juice and sea salt for an hour.2 c cashews, soaked for an hour1/4 c water3 T agave nectar1 t ground flax seeds
Blend cashews, flax seeds, agave nectar adding water one tablespoon at a time until cashews are blended well. Add strawberries and remaining water until very smooth and firm
Pour mixture into chilled 4-inch springform pan. Chill in freezer for 2 hours to set.
Carefully remove molds from panna cottas. Leave it on the saucer plates and put in the refrigerator overnight. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes to soften slightly. Serve panna cottas with compote.