After the trauma of last week, things are starting to look up. Duncan is pain free and generally feeling really good. He is now on a lower dose of blood thinner and, although he has been advised to stay on it for 2 years just as a preventative measure, he also got a green light to resume light running, so he is stoked. He did two 6 km jaunts in the past two days and it felt fine, he felt no pain whatsoever and while he is mindful of not pushing himself too hard, he is very appreciative of being able to exercise again.
There are still some tests and blood work results that we are awaiting on anxiously, but Duncan’s initial consultation with the haematologist went really well. The doctor said that he was simply extremely unlucky to get the blood clots (in the aftermath of the 26 km race) in the first place and that it was the clots that caused the pleurisy. He also said that it is extremely unlikely for Duncan to have any of the cancers we were told about in the hospital with his super active lifestyle, vegan diet and feeling as well as he does. We are thinking positive thoughts and feeling less anxious about the results. As traumatic as this experience was, it has also had a positive side effect. It brought us closer together and made us appreciate each other and what we have more. Silver lining, eh? Today’s recipe is inspired by one of my mum’s favourite cakes. She makes it as a big sheet cake and the whole family loves it, so it always disappears really fast. It works really well with any sour fruit. My mum typically makes it with strawberries or stewed sour apples in autumn. While blackberries or sour cherries would also work well, I am a big fan of raspberries and as they are currently in season here in the UK, that’s what I used. They provide a beautiful contrast against a cloud of sweet vegan meringue and shortbread pastry underneath. This cake makes an impressive dessert and it’s not hard to make, but be aware that there is quite a bit of waiting time involved, for the pastry to chill and for the meringue to dry off after baking.
300 g / 2 heaped cups fresh whole raspberries 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
VEGAN MERINGUE
110 g / heaped 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch 80 ml / 1/3 cup aquafaba, from homecooked or shop-bought chickpeas ½ tsp acid (lemon or lime juice or neutral vinegar)
VEGAN MERINGUE ASSEMBLY
