How is it that I've only posted one granola recipe here?
I could probably devote a whole blog or Instagram page to it. I love the stuff. Borderline obsessed. We always have a jar of it on our kitchen counter, one with a flip-top lid large enough to stick your hand into and fish around for the good stuff if you please. The minute we tip out the last few clusters, Crew points at the jar and gives a disapproving look. "Empty!" he declares. Our post-nap plans are settled then. We'll be making granola today.
Back in late April, I attended a two-day food photography workshop with Sara and Hugh Forte of Sprouted Kitchen. It was held here in Seattle at local photographer + stylist Aran Goyoaga's gorgeous light-filled studio near Pike Place Market. I admire all of their work immensely and was ecstatic to be working side-by-side with each of them. The weekend they put on for us was positively dreamy, to say the least.
I love such things, too, to meet the other participants who are also there to learn. I delight in the story of creatives - the work they're doing and why they're doing it, the messages they're putting out into the community, where they hope to go. That sense of connection - I crave it so much right now. I could have pulled up a chair and stayed awhile with each of them.
On our second morning of the workshop, we walked into the kitchen to find a big canister of granola on the counter (yes!) and bowls stacked high just beside. Aran went about, setting out the yogurt and pulling a batch of homemade rhubarb jam from the fridge. Not long after, she revealed the rhubarb-almond galette that had been bubbling in the oven, its wafting scent putting us in a tizzy.
So naturally, completely inspired by this mini celebration of rhubarb, I rushed home just after the workshop ended (stopping first, of course, to pick up some rhubarb) and get to making something of my very own with it. Feeling a bit impatient, this was no time for galettes. I got to work over the stove, tossing in chopped stalks of bright pink rhubarb, plump little early-season strawberries, a squeeze of lemon, and some sugar too. I gave it a good simmer and once it smelled sticky sweet, called it jam.
I have so many granola recipes I could share here, but decided to go with a good everyday one that I turn to often. I assure you, there will be more. This one is easy, simple to modify with what you've got in the pantry, and cooks up quickly. I adore the punchy lemon that really comes through and the big toasty coconut chips that crackle next to the chew of the oats.
Use a good plain yogurt for the base. We like whole milk yogurt at our house for its flavor and oomph, but do as you wish. Gently swirl in the rhubarb-strawberry quick jam until it's rippled pink and spoon over the granola. Simple. A quick breakfast that starts you off well.
This is a good one to do with little ones at home too. Hand them a wooden spoon to stir and let them have a go. They can help measure and pour too. Granola is pretty resilient and can handle an extra cup of oats or handful of nuts pretty well. Do guard the salt, though. Experience tells me that a quarter cup of salt just won't do in just about any recipe.
everyday granola with yogurt + rhubarb-strawberry quick jam // makes 6 cups of granola and 1 cup of jam
Once you get your hands on a homemade batch of granola, you'll never go back to a box again. This recipe is flexible and easy to switch things out depending on what you like and have in your pantry. Choose raw nuts and seeds if you can, meaning they haven't been salted or toasted, since we'll be doing that ourselves. Watch the tray carefully while baking and stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn around the edges, though some extra toasty bits are nice too.
I like this jam on the tart-side and a little less sweet since I'm serving it with sweetened granola. If you'd like yours a little sweeter, by all means, add another tablespoon or two of sugar. The tartness will mellow a bit when mixed with yogurt too. To dice the rhubarb, trim each end of the stalk and slice it in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into small pieces crosswise.
for the granola:
1/4 cup (57 g) coconut oil
1/2 cup (150 g) pure maple syrup or honey
zest of 1/2 large lemon
3 generous cups (300 g) rolled oats
1 1/2 cups (150 g) roughly chopped raw nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, and/or cashews)
1/2 cup (60 g) shelled raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons (20 g) flax seeds
1/2 cup (25 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
Sea salt
1/2 cup (70 g) chopped dried fruit (such as apricots and dates)
Plain whole milk yogurt, for serving
To make the granola, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the coconut oil and maple syrup or honey in a small saucepan on the stove and set the heat to medium-low. Allow the coconut oil to melt and mix with the sweetener, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then stir in the lemon zest.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, coconut flakes, and a good pinch of sea salt. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients and stir until coated evenly. Scatter the granola onto the prepared tray, spreading it evenly as you go. Pop the tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, pulling it out to stir every 5-10 minutes and make sure it doesn't burn around the edges. (I tend to bake it for 10 minutes, stir, then check and stir every 5 minutes from there.) It's done when it looks golden brown and toasty. Remove from the oven, add the dried fruit, and allow to cool.
To serve, spoon the yogurt into bowls and swirl in a good-sized dollop of the jam (recipe below). Top with the granola. Store the granola in a glass jar or tupperware on the countertop or in the pantry. Keeps for at least a week, but it's doubtful to last that long.
for the jam:
1 cup (4 oz) chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 heaping cups (8 oz) hulled and chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
1 teaspoon loosely packed lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste (optional)
To make the jam, combine the rhubarb and strawberries in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the teeniest bit of salt if you wish, just enough to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. Set the heat to medium-high; cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat a tad to a simmer and let it go until it breaks down and gets jammy but before it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and cool. Store in the fridge and use within a week.
Summer official is just around the corner! I'm dreaming of ice cream cones curbside on sizzling hot days, picnics that last well into the evening, and lots and lots of rosé. You?
xo,
Carrie
