Anything Goes Granola

The best part is the strawberry is from my own garden!

At the very same wedding this past weekend, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast Saturday morning before our yoga class at the spa. (There's a lot to be said in favor of these "destination" type weddings!) The star of the show for me was the Manor's homemade granola. I'd been meaning to make some of our own ever since I encountered the recipe while reading Mark Bittman's Food Matters earlier this spring. (Highly recommended reading!!) Bittman's "Anything Goes Granola" is versatile and so simple to make that there's no excuse for having the expensive, sweet and fattening commercial varieties ever again!

Here's the recipe as I made it this morning, but remember, anything goes!!

6 c. rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Extra Thick Whole Grain)

2 1/2 c. mixed nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds (whole and slivered), cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
1 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
1 t. cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
salt
1 c. dried berries (mix of cranberry, blueberry and strawberry)
1/2 c. raisins (golden and regular)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, spices, honey, syrup and vanilla. Sprinkle with a little sale. Toss to combine well. Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring every 10 minutes or so. I like dark, crunchier granola, so my batch cooked for closer to 40 minutes.


2. Remove pan from the oven and add dried fruits and raisins. Combine. Cool on rack until granola reaches room temperature.

Bittman says this will keep indefinitely if stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container but I question the need for indefinite storage as it will be long gone before it has any chance of going stale!!