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If you haven’t tried homemade granola, you’re really missing out. The aroma fills the house: cinnamon, nuts, honey…heavenly. It’s the same feeling I get when chocolate chip cookies are baking in the oven- a warm and comforting feeling. I don’t stick to recipes, but instead throw whatever nuts and dried fruits from the cupboard into the mix. Using olive oil yields a fruity, complex granola. The guys from Baked<\/a> have a good quick baking granola recipe in their fantastic book, New Frontiers in Baking<\/a>. Love them!<\/p>\n While reading\u00a0 The Versatile Grain & the Elegant Bean<\/a>, I was intrigued by the recipe for a tart shell made with oat flour and quick-cooking oats as a base for a mixed berry tart. I can see how the tart shell would be more satisfying with a nutty flavor and crisp texture. If you make a lot of tarts, this would be a great way to change your routine up a bit and try something new.<\/p>\n Oats are mostly gluten free (if they are not contaminated by other grains in production). Therefore, oat flour is not a good choice on its own for bread. However, oat flour can be added to bread made with a high gluten flour to enrich flavor and increase the shelf life of the bread. Even better, use rolled oats as a coating for a hearty loaf with character. I like to make “Apricot & Oat Bread” from Richard Bertinet’s book Dough<\/a>. It’s a wheat bread with chopped dried apricot throughout and a coating of oats.<\/p>\n A traditional Scottish dessert, cranachan is a layering of toasted oats, honey, fruit, and whisky spiked cream. In River Cottage Every Day<\/a>, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall includes a recipe for “Rhubarb and Contreau Cranachan” that’s perfect for spring.<\/p>\n Who doesn’t love a crisp? I have a weakness for\u00a0 baked fruit hot and bubbling under a sweet and crumbly oat crust. A crisp lends itself to this moment, when berries are in the markets and rhubarb is still around. Experiment with different types of fruit and spices. This week I’ll be making a strawberry rhubarb crisp, so stay tuned!<\/p>\n Muesli is a traditional Swiss breakfast of rolled oats with dried fruits, nuts, and oats served doused in fresh orange juice and served with grated apple. It can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container ready to go in the morning. Martha Stewart has a recipe for Blueberry-Walnut Muesli in The New Classics<\/a> that I think sounds tasty.<\/p>\n A soft, moist texture makes oats a good grain for the pilaf method. In Whole Grains Every Day Every Way<\/a> Lorna Sass suggests baking oats with carrots and thyme so that they absorb the liquid slowly and don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. You can also use the traditional pilaf method like Maria Speck does in Ancient Grains for Modern Meals<\/a>. Cook ingredients like diced onions, carrots, and celery in butter and then add the oats to sautee for a minute or two. Add broth plus a bay leaf and cook until it has absorbed and the oats are tender, about 45 minutes.<\/p>\n Oats add heft to baked goods as well as staving off staleness by retaining moisture. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook<\/a> contains a recipe for “Maple-Oatmeal Scones” that sounds just lovely. Ina Garten uses whole wheat flour and quick cooking oats for a hearty scone sweetened with a maple syrup frosting. Yum!<\/p>\n I know you’re tired of the same old boring oatmeal, why not try something new! In her first book, Super Natural Cooking<\/a>, Heidi Swanson has seven ways to spice up your oatmeal. My favorite: oatmeal with unsweetened coconut milk, chunks of ripe mango, sugar, and toasted coconut topping.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Pastry<\/h5>\n
3.\u00a0 Bread<\/h5>\n
4.\u00a0 Cranachan<\/h5>\n
5.\u00a0 Crisp<\/h5>\n
6.\u00a0 Muesli<\/h5>\n
7.\u00a0 Pilaf<\/h5>\n
8.\u00a0 Scones<\/h5>\n
9.\u00a0 Oatmeal<\/h5>\n
10.\u00a0 Breading for Fried Chicken<\/h5>\n