Nutty Granola

This Nutty Granola from Ellie Krieger's book "The Food You Crave" has become a regular, every two weeks you gotta make it, sort of thing around here. I have this with Silk for breakfast & it keeps me happy for hours.


* 3 cups old-fashioned oats
* 1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts
* 1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
* 1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup raisins, optional (I add these after the granola has cooled, it's less chewy this way.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and the raisins, if using. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Potato Latkes

I first remember tasting potato latkes in the Oregon country side, visiting a friend's friend while going along our road trip. I remember hearing that this couple had moved out to the sticks to live off the land, get off the grid and raise their daughter. This was a new concept to me at the time. For their living, the woman made beautiful tie dye skirts and hand blown pipes to sell at country festivals and fairs, while her husband farmed a vegetable garden for them. They made an impression on me, they were living a certain way, choosing it consciously. The latkes we ate for dinner, also made a big impression. Served with sour cream and applesauce, I was hooked. Here is the recipe that I love.

Potato Latkes (serves 4)
2 cups shredded potatoes
2 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying

Directions

~Place the potatoes in a bowl of salted water for at least 20 minutes.
~Drain in a colander & press to extract as much moisture as possible.
~Combine all ingredients.
~In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form thin patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

If you can get your hands on some home made Apple Butter, you will die of delight at your breakfast table.

Growing Chitted Potatoes

I'm planting some chitted organic red potatoes today. They chitted themselves quite nicely and accidentally in the garage. The dark of the moon is the best time to plant underground plants while the moon draws the moisture deeper into the earth for the next couple weeks. I learned about chitting from Jamie Oliver, but it must be an art as old as potatoes themselves. Cut a one inch square around a growing eye in your potato.

Cut this section from the potato & plant in a well cultivated trench. Once the potato plant sprouts and starts to grow a stalk, mound soil up around it's neck, as the weeks pass, continue this process, as high as you can mound the dirt. (Hence starting in a trench.)

The underground potato stalk will grow potatoes all along the stalk as long as it keeps getting buried, producing a lot more potatoes from just one plant. This is great news for small spaces!