Honey Granola Goodness

I was excited to experience making homemade granola in my farm-to-table (FTT) approach course at Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. It was a memorable experience. It’s simple and quick. I love everything about granola, especially the crunch. I love sprinkling it on my yogurt and açai bowls.

FTT is Lit!

FTT restaurants are popping up everywhere, especially in Hawai’i. We hear that term often these days, but what is FTT? In short, Restaurantware.com (2021) describes FTT, or fork-to-table, as a modern movement and concept. Culinary businesses and establishments source organic, non-GMO, hormone, and pesticide-free produce (fruits, vegetables, and herbs), meats, spices, and other ingredients from local farms.

While it’s great to support local, FTT restaurants tend to be more expensive than traditional restaurants because the ingredients are of higher quality, thus making the foods healthier. A plus side is that the local economy benefits from the food businesses and the community’s support. That’s a massive plus in Hawai’i. Please support local businesses if possible.

Recipe & Equipment

Yields 6 portions

• 2 cups organic rolled oats
• ¼ cup organic dark brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
• ½ cup organic raisins
• ⅓ cup chopped organic almonds
• 4 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons organic raw honey
  
• Mixing bowls/cups/spoons for mise en place ingredients
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Cutting board
• Chef knife
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Saucepot
• Oven mitts
• Non-stick spray
• Airtight container

Production Steps

1. Sanitize kitchen (sink, countertops, stovetop/oven, cupboard handles, phone, computer).
2. Mise en place ingredients.
3. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
4. Combine and mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
5. Over low heat, melt the butter and honey in a pan.
6. Stir and pour over the dry ingredients.
7. Mix and coat well.
8. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
9. Spread the granola on the baking sheet.
10. Bake until golden brown.
11. Rotate the pans as needed so that the granola bakes evenly.
12. Cool to room temperature.

Seven Ways to Eat Granola

Granola is simple yet versatile. Let’s get creative in the kitchen and use granola to add some crunch to your dishes.

Here are seven quick ways to eat and use granola:

1. With plant-based yogurt.
   • Take it one step further and make a yogurt parfait. There are SO many yogurts to choose from- almond, soy, cashew, or oat. The list is endless.
   • Be creative; add fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, or agave to make it a hearty and full-filled parfait.
2. As a cereal with plant-based milk. Nom nom nom!
3. As a topping on a freshly tossed salad, get the best of multiple worlds: fresh, sweet, and savory.
4. Shape them into bars and bake them.
   • Or press them into a greased pan, bake them, and cut them into bars after cooling them. Voilà! Your very own energy bar!
5. Add to a pancake or waffle batter for a crunch. Whoa! Now that would be an interesting mouthfeel. Crunchy pancakes and waffles.
6. Create balls and freeze them. Ooh! A refreshing snack on a hot summer day.
7. As a topping on açai bowls. Yess! And drizzle with more honey!

Crunch, crunch!

FS x

References

Restaurantware.com (2021). What is farm to table? Retrieved from: https://www.restaurantware.com/blog/post/what-is-farm-to-table/.