Easy Homemade Granola Recipe

Once you've made your own easy homemade granola, you'll be spoiled!

Another bonus to shopping at our weekly farmer's market is the wonderful variety of fresh dried fruits and nuts available from our fantastic vendors. Wow- I feel truly spoiled to have year-round access to this local bounty, so I'm very happy to support them with my loyalty. If you have access to locally grown dried fruit and nuts, this granola will turn out even better!

I started eating granola again once I discovered how easy it to make it myself. Store bought granola is either very expensive for the good ones, and the not-so-good ones are too sugary or just taste awful (in my humble opinion!). I love it sprinkled over good quality plain yogurt, or by itself as a snack (warning: it's rather addicting too). I make it slightly sweet using only pure maple syrup and local honey, generously supplied by my neighbor as a trade for pruning her fruit trees.

Here's my recipe below, adapted from my old and yellowing, but trusty Deaf Smith Country Cookbook (published in 1973). I make a large batch each time because it doesn't last long in my home. And it's quite flexible as to the amounts of dried fruit and nuts that you want add. Make it simple or load it up as I do with dried cranberries, mixed raisins, walnuts, almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds, and even a bit of candied Buddha hand lemon. 

Ingredients and Method

1. Mix together in a large bowl:
5 cups raw oats (not quick cooking type)
1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup each raw sesame and sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup raisins (I get some beautiful ones from my farmer's market that are from a mix of grapes)
Optional:
1/4 cup candied Buddha hand lemon, chopped and drain of simple syrup

2. Add the wet ingredients:
First add 1/2 cup of a vegetable oil such as safflower oil and stir it in very well to coat the dry ingredients. Use the same measuring cup and measure 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, or honey, or combine them so that they add up to 1/2 cup (I love the combination of maple syrup and honey). Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla.
Mix these into the granola and stir to coat very well. 

Parchment paper is essential to avoid granola sticking to the pans

3. To bake:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (trust me, you won't want to skip the paper!) and spread the granola mixture evenly onto the two baking sheets. It will make a thick layer, but I found that it works just fine if you bake the two sheets side by side for about 10 minutes at 335 degrees F*, then check the granola to make sure it's not getting too toasty or burning. Stir it up (the edges tend to brown more quickly) then return to the oven and bake a few minutes more (5 to 10 minutes). Tip: make sure you set a timer to remind you because a few minutes makes the difference between pleasantly toasted and burnt!
*You may have to test your oven and see if you need to bake at a lower or slightly higher temperature.

Tip: I let the baking sheets cool on racks set on my counter top. As the trays cool, stir the granola to break up the clumps. Wait until it's completely cooled before storing in an air-tight container (if you store it before it has cooled, it will get soggy- ugh!). 

Adding chopped, candied Buddha hand lemon lends a citrusy flavor

As I mentioned, this recipe is very flexible, so feel free to experiment with the amount or kinds of fruit and nuts, and the level of sweetness. I don't even measure out the dry ingredients anymore and it turns out nicely each time. To my taste this recipe makes mildly sweet, very satisfying granola. I'm fortunate in that we can buy our dried fruit and nuts from our farmer's market so we have access to unusual and delicious varieties, and you can't beat the freshness. Enjoy!

See my recipe and method for candied Buddha hand lemon here.

Strawberry Sherbet with Homegrown Strawberries

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I’ve been harvesting lots of  berries starting in spring through the summer from my modest three by four foot strawberry patch in my front yard, so I was inspired to try them in this easy sherbet recipe. I figured that if I’m going to eat something with sugar and dairy in it, it may as well be made with high quality ingredients, in other words, homegrown and homemade.  

See my version below of a basic recipe I found at Eat Drink Love, that uses only 2 cups of fresh berries, and scroll down for a photo of the strawberry bed in my front yard edible landscape.

 The 2 cups of berries in this recipe is not a huge amount and very doable for the home garden.

Making sherbet with milk and a variety of fresh berries is simple and gives spectacular results. Instead of making ice cream, which is incredibly high in dairy fat and eggs yolks as well, I think you'll agree that sherbet is a fantastic alternative. You can use other types of berries too. I've also used fresh berries that we've kept frozen, and in combinations.

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Fresh Strawberry Sherbet Recipe

You Will Need

2 cups fresh organically grown strawberries, hulled and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemon if available)

2 cups organic whole or low fat milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar

½ teaspoon high quality vanilla

Pinch of sea salt

Three Step Strawberry Sherbet Method

1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Chill the mixture until it is very cold for best results (2 or more hours).

3. Churn in an ice cream maker, about 20 – 30 minutes until very thick, then freeze 2- 3 hours or overnight.( This works well in my Cuisinart ice cream maker with a well chilled bowl that I keep ready in the freezer, but you should follow specific instructions for your brand of ice cream maker).

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 Conventionally Grown Strawberries: The Dirty Truth

Eating freshly picked berries is heavenly, since you’ll get the best flavor and ripeness. A lot has been written about conventionally grown strawberries because they are notoriously grown with high inputs of fertilizers, pesticides and fumigants, and they don’t even taste very good since they are often picked when under-ripe.

By growing your own strawberries you can be sure they aren’t laced with pesticide residues and that soil-destroying fumigants weren’t used. You can also find organically grown berries at your farmer’s market, but unfortunately it’s likely that the stock plants were produced by using fumigants and pesticides.

Read more about growing your own strawberries in Eat Drink Better’s Becky Striepe’s post, and read a peer reviewed scientific study about the advantages of organically grown strawberries versus conventionally grown here.

 This post was also published on Eat Drink Better

Photos: Patricia Larenas, Urban Artichoke

What Does Organic Mean to You?

What do you expect from food that is labeled organic? Pesticide free? Responsible stewardship of the land? The certified organic label may not meet your expectations.

Paul Kaiser, of Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol, California, explains why. I met Kaiser, or Farmer Paul, as he is known locally, at the 2012 EcoFarm Conference where we talked about saving bees, creating earth-friendly farms, and the misuse of the terms organically grown and sustainable agriculture.

Going Beyond Organic

Kaiser wants to ask consumers, “what does organic mean to you?”

He pointed me to an essay he wrote on the subject and gave me permission to share some of his thoughts from that piece.

Read more...

Photo: courtesy of Paul Kaiser

Eat and Play Organically at Bumble, A New Family Friendly Cafe

My neighbor Alexander happily assisted me in scoping-out Bumble

Bumble's ambitious goal is to be a family’s dream come true - a cozy, comfortable, kid friendly cafe that not only goes all out to make children and their parents feel welcome, but that also focuses on providing the healthiest food possible.  

I visited Bumble recently with my two-and-half-year-old neighbor, Alexander, and his mom, Margie, to meet with Bumble's director, Emily Richard. I wanted to learn more about how they manage the sourcing for local organic products for this unique cafe, which would be a significant undertaking for any new restaurant.

My Bumble breakfast of oatmeal with beautiful local berries

It turns out that finding and procuring various locally grown, organically produced food items is made possible by a specialty distributor called GreenLeaf.   They provide access as well as distribution of numerous specialty goods, including organic produce and local dairy products, to businesses like Bumble.  And it's logical that this supports small farm and dairy operations by simplifying and reducing the time and effort they spend getting their products to market. 

It is an elegant example of a local food network that benefits all parties involved, and in the process enables small businesses to make their dreams a reality while growing the local economy.

All this and healthy food too! 

Bumble is located in Los Altos, California.

Read the full post at Eat Drink Better

  Photos: Urban Artichoke

Reclaiming Our Heritage: Growing Heirloom Plants and Saving Seed

Heirloom beans I'm growing this year, clockwise from left: Hidatsa 
Shield Figure, Good Mother Stallard, Hutterite, and Tiger's Eye

The popularity of heirloom fruits and vegetables is much deserved; their flavor, variety, and beauty are clearly superior. But there are also other compelling reasons to preserve heirloom edibles, and they have serious implications for our future.

Organizations such as Seed Savers Exchange are dedicated to actively preserving the legacy of heirloom plants by operating a seed bank and a heritage farm for propagation. Most important, however, is their large grassroots membership of local gardeners and farmers that continue to grow and save seeds of heirloom edible fruits and vegetables:

"The genetic diversity of the world's food crops is eroding at an unprecedented and accelerating rate. The vegetables and fruits currently being lost are the result of thousands of years of adaptation and selection in diverse ecological niches around the world.
Each variety is genetically unique and has developed resistance to the diseases and pests with which it evolved. Plant breeders use the old varieties to breed resistance into modern crops that are constantly being attacked by rapidly evolving diseases and pests. Without these infusions of genetic diversity, food production is at risk from epidemics and infestations.” - Seed Savers Exchange

The Evolution of Localized Seed

Over the history of human agriculture, food plants became adapted to specific regions as they were nurtured, propagated, shared, and passed on through generations to preserve their special flavors and unique attributes. No matter where people have been born and raised, they all lovingly recall favorite foods that they dearly miss after moving from their home regions, and whenever possible they brought their food plants with them. At a minimum, this is the definition of heirloom seeds and plants.

Some sources define heirloom plants by the age of the particular cultivar, that is, how long ago the plant type came into existence, ranging from 50 to over 100 years ago. But the most important point is that they must be open pollinated, which means that they can be propagated through their seeds and that they are adaptable to different regions by growing them and selecting the plants that thrive and produce well under local conditions.

This dynamic quality is possible due to the genetic diversity retained by the plant, and this is a critical advantage in creating new adaptable varieties that have disease resistance, tolerance to either heat or cold, or the amount of water necessary for successful cultivation, and so on. They are also known for their unsurpassed range of flavors.

Regional seed swaps are still an effective way to share seeds and
build community among like-minded growers

In contrast, hybrid plants, those that have been purposefully crossed under controlled conditions to select for commercially advantageous traits such as color, durability under transport, high production, etc., have lost genetic diversity and are dependent on high fertilizer input, the use of pesticides and herbicides, and the seeds are either sterile or do not breed true. Hybrids began to be used extensively at around 1945, the end of World War II, and during the 1970’s the distribution of hybrid seeds was firmly established by commercial seed companies.

To grow hybrid varieties of vegetables or fruit you must depend on a commercial supplier for the seeds or seedlings, not on seeds saved by your grandparent or neighbor. This industrialization of agriculture has had a profound effect on farmers, and has limited the types of vegetables and fruits available to consumers. The proliferation of farmer’s markets across the nation is an attempt to regain access to the wonderful array of edibles not available in supermarkets, because they are grown on a small scale, and many are grown using organic practices.

Gardeners Help Preserve Our Agricultural Heritage

Organizations such as Seed Savers Exchange are dedicated to actively preserving the legacy of heirloom plants by operating a seed bank and a heritage farm for propagation. Most important, however, is their large grassroots membership of gardeners and farmers nationwide that continue to grow and save seeds of heirloom edible fruits and vegetables, and they also share them with other growers. 

The sharing piece is critical- the ultimate goal is to keep these cultural gems in cultivation.

Taos Blue corn with reddish coloration on the husk;
this is a visible sign of genetic variation and diversity

Each variety is genetically unique and has developed resistance to the diseases and pests with which it evolved. They also become locally adapted (referred to as a land race). Plant breeders use the old varieties to breed resistance into modern crops that are constantly being attacked by rapidly evolving diseases and pests. Without access to this genetic diversity, food production is at risk from epidemics of plant diseases and infestations. 

Seed Exchange members are listed in a database and offer their seeds to other gardeners for a small fee to cover shipping. There are literally thousands of varieties with interesting stories, and some are known only as “My grandmother’s sweet pepper“.

Members can also join the Citizen Science Corps (formally known as the Member-Grower Evaluation Network (M-GEN)) and volunteer to grow plant varieties from the collection in order to provide valuable information on how the variety grows in their region. 

For the home gardener there is a wealth of delicious and fascinating heirloom vegetables to discover; these are the holders of our diverse cultures, linking us to all humanity around the globe.

Photos: Patricia Larenas