Here’s a recipe that will help you clean out the various packages of nuts and dried fruits in your pantry and turn them into a healthy snack.
It comes from the cookbook “Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets & Recipes From Our Kitchen ” by Zoe Nathan, proprietor (with husband Josh Loeb) of the local Rustic Canyon family of restaurants. Nathan says she always makes sure the family has a batch of granola around the house. She also advises cooks that, because there are so many granola variations, they should feel free to experiment and throw any anything they like.
Start with this recipe and, if you like your granola sweeter, add more honey. If your family likes coconut, throw in sweetened toasted coconut. For a chocolate granola, omit the cinnamon, add an additional ½ teaspoon salt, use only toasted almonds, and instead of dried fruit toss in ¾ cup (100 grams) chopped dark chocolate. For a spiced granola, double the cinnamon and add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cloves.
Eventually, you’ll have a granola recipe to call your own.
Granola from the “Huckleberry” cookbook
Serves 4
4 cups (200 grams) rolled oats, not quick-cooking
½ cup (110 grams) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (170 grams) honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup (150 grams) mixed toasted nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, pistachios
1 cup (170 grams) mixed dried fruit, such as sliced apricots, sour cherries, cranberries, currants, raisins
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss together the rolled oats, melted butter, honey,
salt, and cinnamon.
Spread the mixture on a sheet pan and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Add the nuts and bake 5 minutes longer. Allow to cool.
Toss with the dried fruit.
This keeps well, in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to two weeks.
The Rustic Canyon Family restaurants include Rustic Canyon, which is temporarily closed, and its sister restaurants Huckleberry, Sweet Rose Creamery, Milo + Olive, Cassia, Esters Wine Shop and Bar, Tallula’s, Milo SRO and Birdie G’s. All of the restaurants except Rustic Canyon are offering curbside pickup, takeout and delivery. You can also support the restaurants by purchasing gift cards used to dine at a later date.
The cookbook “Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets & Recipes From Our Kitchen” is sold at Huckleberry, and can be picked up along with takeout orders or ordered for delivery.
Huckleberry also sells $30 mixed market boxes daily to support local farmers such as Koda Farms and County Line Harvest. Call 310-451-2311 at least two days in advance from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to reserve a box.
