Get your bag into it.
Drat. Hooray!
The back to school bittersweet blues have arrived. Yes, waking up early to get kids out of bed is a drag, but no, we won't miss the i'm-bored-no-structure-who's-coming-to-the-beach-today-i'm-hungry nonsense. Summer is winding down and we're easing into a familiar routine.
The secret to consistent cooking at home is planning. And just to be clear, I hate planning (it's mostly the thought that someone thinks I should plan that puts me off, but that's for another email). So let's think of them as strategies. Keep a pantry stocked with a few essentials, and then let your hair down at the farmers market or grocery store and pick out whatever strikes your culinary fancy. Have beans and onions? Grab leeks, carrots and a little uncured bacon for a stew that you'll serve over rice, with polenta, or as a breakfast burrito (or all three if you make enough). Have a half a bottle of vinaigrette? Pick up a bag of potatoes, roast 'em, cool and toss them with the dressing, or grate 4 carrots and a beet and let them sit overnight with the vinaigrette for a salad that tests better after a day of rest.
Better yet? Give yourself a day of rest. Or two. Spend two hours a couple nights a week with your haul of produce and make a few dishes. Label them and conduct your lunch packing and dinner operations from the couch, instructing the tired, homework-avoiding crews to warm up, toss or scoop your strategic planning by pointing to the fridge. Remind them of the cardinal rule: (s)he who does the cooking doth not do the dishes. If you need some inspiration for these meals, we've got a class for that. Hadley just posted her Healthy and Fast Fall Meals and Gill Boyd's Pro Chef series begins in a couple of weeks.
And with that, we'd like to serve you our favorite do-ahead breakfast-or-snack meal: Granola. Make it your own, adding anything from currants to chocolate and coconut. We make a big batch once a month and fill tiny 4 ounce jars, stacking them in the pantry for an easy tossing into backpacks.
Granola
Place in a large bowl:
4 cups rolled oats
Assorted fruits and nuts of your liking
Place in a small pot:
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
4 ounces unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
1 cup honey
2 Tbsps brown sugar
Set aside:
2/3 cup olive oil
2 egg whites, whisked
1/2 cup chopped mixed chocolate (roughly chopped, not too small)
Options:
I find that two extra cups of nuts and 1 cup dried fruits work best:
-Hazelnuts, Almonds and Currants
-Pistachios, Golden Raisins and Dried Apricots
-Pine nuts, Rosemary and Dried Apricots, finely chopped
-Coconut, Macadamia nut and Dried Mangos
1. In a large bowl, toss your oats, nuts and dried fruits together.
2. Bring the butter, honey and brown sugar to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the oil, salt and vanilla.
3. Whisk your egg whites just to get them foamy.
4. Pour the butter mixture over the oatmeal and mix with a wooden spoon until coated. Using your hands (it helps to add a little bit of oil to your hands), fold in the egg whites, making sure they are well incorporated (this helps form clusters).
5. Pour onto parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 250, stirring once or twice for even browning, for 40-50 minutes, or until everything is evenly toasted.
6. Once cooled, add in your chocolate, if desired.
Wishing you a delicious day,
Clémence and Hadley
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