20Jan

Welcome. My name is Elisabeth Taurino, and I am the new guest blogger. I am an amateur chef who specializes in recipe development and food pairing. It has been my honor to be friends with Janice Brahm Talty since kindergarten. I love both baking and cooking. I hope to entertain you and inspire your taste buds! Each blog will feature an Olde Hearth Bread Co. product with an original recipe or two with pairing suggestions.

This month’s product is their wonderful granola!

Ingredients: Oats, Almonds, Honey, GMO-free Canola oil, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Brown Sugar, Salt, Vanilla.

Translation: Taste explosion! Olde Hearth Bread Co. granola is the perfect texture. Not so crunchy that you are afraid you will break a tooth, but not soft as to think it’s oatmeal. Like Goldilock’s said, JUST RIGHT. The flavor is nutty and complex, with a subtle sweetness from the honey and brown sugar, which is enhanced by the vanilla. The overall effect is so much more than the sum of its parts…..one might say, catalytic: aka taste explosion!

Ah, granola. There is sooooooo much more to do with it than just eat it plain! (Although it is so delicious, who is going to stop you?!!) One of my favorite ways is to crush it and turn it into a versatile topping. I like to take a banana, smother it in local honey, and roll it in the crushed granola. You can also use yogurt, peanut butter, Nutella, melted chocolate or prepared hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, or my personal indulgent favorite: cookie butter!

For a delightful breakfast or brunch dish, I make an elevated yogurt with granola. Start with your favorite yogurt. I like to use a thick, full-fat Greek yogurt, although a creamy French yogurt or Icelandic version is lovely as well. Depending on your tastes and preferences, you can use flavored or plain. I am a fan of a plain, so the fruit and granola’s sweetness is not overwhelmed by the yogurt.

Oats, Almonds, Honey, Canola Oil, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Brown Sugar, Sea Salt

Granola with Yogurt and Marinated Fruit

2 cups thinly sliced strawberries, peaches, or plums (perfect for slightly under ripe fruit you don’t want to go to waste)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp turbinado or brown sugar (more or less to taste)

or 1 1/2 tbsp of organic blue agave syrup

 

Mix sugar into the balsamic vinegar until dissolved. Pour over prepared fruit. Refrigerate overnight. Serve drained, on its own or over yogurt.

 

Recipe Notes:

* I like to jazz up my yogurt with 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla or other extracts

of your choice per 1 cup plain yogurt.

*For best results, use high-quality balsamic vinegar. Do not use a premade glaze product.

To serve, start by putting lightly crushed granola in a serving bowl, topping with yogurt mixture, a drizzle of honey, and followed by marinated fruit in the center if you are feeling fancy, top with a teaspoon of basil chiffonade.

Serve immediately, enjoy immensely.