Breakfast Archives - Raised on the Farm

Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuit with Spiced Fig Butter

Mom's Whole Wheat Biscuits with Fig Butter — Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuits with Fig Butter

My mom’s biscuit was probably not yo’ mama’s biscuit… no AP flour, no shortening or butter, no flaky layers, no poppin’ tube. No, hers was a whole wheat biscuit, made about as healthy as one can make a biscuit, with whole meal flour and unsaturated vegetable oil. Not my childhood favorite, but it’s the biscuit I wanted when I whipped up some Spiced Fig Butter this morning. On the farm, we often piled deliciously spicy apple butter on those wheaty biscuits. And suddenly I’m rooting through my recipe box for that weathered recipe written in her hand.

The fickle fig has returned this year, following its non-appearance last summer. Figs seem to be a feast or famine fruit; there either are none, or I’m drowning in them. And due to their short shelf life, they must be eaten quickly or preserved in some fashion. Thus far, they’ve been eaten out of hand, frozen into fro-yo, roasted savory style with onions and fennel and simmered into today’s fruit butter.

Fruit butters are different from jams and jellies. Smooth, less sweet spreads that glide over a biscuit or slice of toast like butter. The fruit is lightly sweetened and cooked to sauce consistency. Spices are added, and the sauce is simmered to reduce, caramelize the sugars and concentrate. Finally the mixture is blended to that smooth buttery consistency. Apple butter is probably the best known fruit butter, which takes long slow watchful cooking. Having made it many times, I was surprised how quickly and easily the fig butter came together. Figs are soft fruits which cook down into sauce and concentrate into fruit butter very quickly. They are also natural partners for the flavors of port, honey and warm spices.

This fig butter has remarkable versatility. While I’m showcasing it on biscuits, it’s delicious stirred into yogurt, oatmeal or chia pudding. I suspect it would be an enthusiastic member of a charcuterie board, or as a side to savory roasted dishes. I’m going to run out before I exhaust its many applications… time to search out more figs!

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Mom’s Whole Wheat Biscuits with Spiced Fig Butter

Biscuit with mild, nutty flavor of whole wheat, topped with port infused spiced fig butter.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Quick Bread

Keyword: cinnamon, figs, Whole Wheat

Servings: 9

Ingredients

Spiced Fig Butter

9 fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp port wine
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp anise seed
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup water
1 pinch salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil I used avocado oil

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the figs, honey, port, spices and water; stir in the pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or til the fruit is soft. Cool slightly, then blend to a smooth consistency with an immersion blender or blender. Stir in the vinegar and chill. Makes 1 cup fig butter.

Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan or cookie sheet. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the almond milk and oil, and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir lightly into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 9 biscuits and place into the prepared pan/baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Notes

1 biscuit with 1 tablespoon fig butter:

Calories: 203
Total Fat: 8.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 283 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28
Fiber: 1.75 g
Sugars: 8.8 g
Protein: 2.8 g

Hot Cross Buns

TBH, I’d planned my next post to present a vegetable side dish of broccoli. But yesterday the hot cross buns- Mom’s hot cross buns-emerged from the oven, all puffy and glistening, pushing all thoughts of broccoli right out of my head.

Easter on the farm was much like other religious holidays; 20% religion and 80% traditional cultural practices. You know, the fun stuff. My youthful priorities for the holiday were:

1. Wearing my new Easter outfit, if it was warm and dry enough. (It wasn’t.)

2. Running to check for the early arrival of the Easter Bunny. (Guaranteed.)

3. Eating hot cross buns for breakfast. (More than likely, yes.)

Actually, hot cross buns pre-date Christianity, originating in pagan religions. But they seemed such a fine fit for Good Friday, that they were co-opted as a symbol of Easter. But no matter how you view them historically, they remain a delicious holiday staple.

I have no idea where this recipe came from, simply a hand written recipe card with no credit given. But Mom’s hot cross buns were, and remain today, the best ones I have ever tasted, and I have tasted a few over the years. Beautifully risen, puffy and light, with just the proper amount of spice.

They are a bit of a splurge at our house, given the butter, white flour and icing. I will admit to trying to make them healthier in years past, but the quality is not the same and ultimately not worth it for a one time a year indulgence. This year I did have the remains of a bag of finely milled farro flour from my favorite local grains purveyor, Hayden Flour Mills. I blended the farro flour into my Sonoran white wheat for both flavor and color, but Mom used plain old all purpose flour, and that’s fine. And of course, I macerated the currents in brandy, of which Mom would not only approve, but would wonder why she didn’t think to do so herself…

Given the lateness of my inspiration, if you bake the buns it won’t be in time for Easter. But neither the holiday nor the buns will mind if they hit the table a bit late. I don’t think you’ll mind much, either.

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Hot Cross Buns

Puffy, tender sweet roll spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, with a criss-cross of vanilla icing.

Prep Time2 30

Cook Time20

Total Time2 50

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: English

Keyword: Easter

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 packet active dry yeast 1 packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons
1/4 cup very warm water
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1/3 cup milk I use oat milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup currants, dried
1 tbsp brandy optional
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Icing

1 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
milk

Instructions

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to proof.
If using the brandy, mix into the currants and set aside to macerate.
Melt the butter, then stir in milk, sugar and salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool, then stir into the yeast.
Beat the egg. Measure and reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing the buns before baking. Stir remaining egg into the yeast mixture, along with the currants.
Mix the flour with the spices. Add gradually to the yeast mix, adding just enough to make a soft dough. If additional is required, add by the tablespoon until the dough can be kneaded.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding only enough flour to keep from sticking. The mixing and kneading can be done using a strong mixer with dough hook.
Place the dough into a lightly buttered bowl, brush top with butter and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn out and divided evenly into 8 pieces. Shape each piece lightly into a ball. Place the balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and set aside to rise, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the risen rolls lightly with the reserved beaten egg.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and brown. Cover with a sheet of foil if the rolls are browning too quickly.
Remove rolls from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Beat the confectioner's sugar into the butter with the vanilla. Add milk by drops until spreadable consistency. Additional confectioner's sugar may be added as desired for a stiffer icing for piping. Spread or pipe onto the warm rolls.

Notes

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 256
Total Fat: 5.1 g
Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 169 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 47.7 g
Fiber: 1.9 g
Total sugars: 19.8 g
Protein: 5.8 g

Frosty Peach Smoothie

It’s July and it’s beyond hot. While July is usually my “fig” month, figs don’t seem to find the current weather conditions particularly conducive to growth. So I’m turning to a different favorite fruit for a cold, icy, frosty peach smoothie. With emphasis on the cold, icy and frosty…

A fresh ripe peach is a sublime fruit, fragrant, juicy and sweet. Rarely experienced on the farm, unless someone was lucky enough to hit a local market at just the right time of the “season.” And the season varied tremendously over the span of a summer, with peaches coming from many locales. And honestly, one never knew the quality of the fruit hiding inside that fuzzy little package. A poorly ripened peach is a sad experience to say the least; mealy and tasteless. I do recall one year Mom ordering a bushel of peaches at their perfection point to be canned. It was quite the undertaking, and required processing in sugar syrup. They of course were nothing like a fresh peach, and while we appreciated them come winter, we didn’t repeat the effort.

We are fortunate indeed here in southern Arizona to find delicious small local peaches early in the season, both at our CSA and the local farmer’s market. (Even in this weather.) Followed by large luscious yellow peaches from California. These are the beauties that will go into my frosty peach smoothie.

We have come to enjoy smoothies as part of breakfast. They provide a balance of nutrients that satisfy us throughout the morning. Unlike the precision of baking, whizzing up a smoothie is a flexible process. If I use a high protein milk, I omit the protein powder. No protein powder? Add chia or hemp seeds. If my mix of fruit is ultra sweet, I don’t need the date. And one could certainly add vegetables if desired, but I personally don’t find many mornings when I desire them. At the most, I’ll toss in a handful of broccoli sprouts if I’m feeling guilty about the whole thing, but I’d really prefer getting my veggies later in the day. I understand that there are people who drink green smoothies on purpose, but my morning appetite assures me that smoothies should not be green…

My frosty peach smoothie is a terrific antidote to the heat and humidity being offered up across the country. Frozen fruit with added ice chips blend up into a cool frappe with flavor notes of luscious peaches, sweet-tart cherries and almond. Hints of cinnamon and cardamom thread their way through the fruity mix. Thick and creamy, smooth and icy, it literally melts in one’s mouth, cold and delicious. All the while offering up fruit, protein and healthy fats to fuel the body for the morning.

Seems hard to believe that only five months ago I was crying about the persistent damp cold, searching for a warm smoothie. I’ll probably do it again, come January… but for July and August, this refreshing peach smoothie is all I could ask for.

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Frosty Peach Smoothie

Thick, smooth, icy cold peach smoothie with hints of almond, cinnamon and cardamom.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond, cold, peach

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups milk of choice I use almond or hemp
1 medium large fresh peach, chopped and frozen
1/2 medium banana, sliced and frozen
1/3 cup frozen sweet cherries
1 tbsp flax meal
1 Medjool date, chopped
2 tbsp protein powder
2 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup crushed ice

Instructions

Pour the milk into the blender container, then add the ingredients in order through the cardamom. Blend on low to chop the ingredients, then turn to high and blend until smooth. Remove the top and pour in the crushed ice. Blend on high until the ice is completely blended and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into 2 glasses, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon and cardamom.

Notes

Nutrition:
Calories: 260
Total Fat:12.4 g
Saturated: 0.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Total Carb: 31.2 g
Fiber: 6 g
Total Sugars: 20.7 g
Protein: 11.2 g

Warm Pumpkin Smoothie

Warm Pear Smoothie — Warm Pumpkin Smoothie

I got up one morning this week to find my husband studying flaky white patches among the desert plantings of our front yard. He wondered if someone had deposited trash in the yard? Yes, he’s forgotten what snow looks like…particularly when it is surrounded by cactus. You begin to appreciate my idea of a warm pumpkin smoothie!

Yes, I have to admit it; I’m a weather wimp. I particularly don’t care for summer humidity. For that matter, I’m also not so fond of winter’s damp cold; a prime reason for my current residence in the desert southwest. But not all desert winters are sweetness and light, as in warm and dry. This desert winter is wearing out its welcome. We’ve had weeks of cold and rain, followed by weeks of just cold, and now snow! Some days it warms to tolerable temps at the height of the day. But sunset brings a severe drop in temperature, unique to desert climates. And we need the rain, for sure. But folks have had their landscape plants covered to prevent freezing for so long that no one knows if the plants will survive the protection! And no one here appears to have ever known about the invention of home insulation. Getting out of bed is reminiscent of the old days in our drafty farmhouse. Warm food is in order this Arizona winter.

It’s been several years since I started enjoying breakfast smoothies. I’d no sooner learned to savor them than the temps dropped. I don’t have much appetite for a frozen fruit shake on these cold mornings. It occurred to me that someone living in the bitter cold somewhere had probably developed a warm smoothie recipe. A bit of googling brought me to a recipe for a warm pear smoothie. Life changing on a cold morning, accompanied by homemade toast. But surely pears can’t have a monopoly on warm smoothies?

Perhaps you remember October’s big pumpkin that we seeded, roasted, peeled, mashed and strained? My freezer is still harboring a few jars of that orange baby from the fall. So, I reasoned one morning while huddled up in my robe and slippers, why not try a warm pumpkin smoothie? A little pumpkin, a little fruit, some seeds and flax for protein and Omega-3’s, a large dollop of almond milk… and the spices, don’t forget the spices…

My pumpkin smoothie is a little bit sweet, a little bit savory. It’s a terrific way to stuff both some fruit and vegetable into a drink that is spiced, silky smooth, and warm, taking the chill off these frosty mornings. All this before 9:00 a.m. What a deal.

Thus far pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, buckwheat pumpkin bread and pumpkin spiced oats with cranberry sauce have been made from that pumpkin. I can now see that my frozen supply is actually beginning to dwindle. But until my mornings warm up, I may have to break down and buy some canned pumpkin… who would have thought?

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Warm Pumpkin Smoothie

Part sweet, part savory breakfast smoothie with pumpkin, peaches, and warm winter spices.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin, smoothie, warm

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sliced peaches I use frozen peaches
2 cups almond milk
3 large Medjool dates, pitted
3 tbsp hemp hearts/seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tsp flax meal
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Measure the pumpkin puree, peaches, almond milk and pitted dates into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Pour the remaining ingredients into the blender. Pour over the heated liquid ingredients and cover with the blender lid, venting the center insert to allow heat to escape. Gradually turn the power up to high, and blend until smooth.
Pour into 2 glasses or mugs and serve.

Notes

Nutrition:
Calories: 286
Fat: 17.8 g, 2 g saturated
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 188 g
Carbohydrate: 25 g
Fiber 7 g
Total Sugars: 14.2 g
Protein: 12 g

Spicy Buckwheat Pumpkin Bread

One might imagine that we grew our own pumpkins on the farm, which would be a bad assumption…

Daddy didn’t grow them, and no one in the kitchen seeded, roasted, peeled, pureed, drained or strained them. After all, Mom could write “pumpkin” on the grocery list and an orange can of perfectly prepared plain pumpkin puree would magically appear in the pantry. She could sweeten and spice it to her heart’s content for our holiday pies.

So I was a bit taken aback at my husband’s plan to make it ourselves. Granted, we did receive a hefty pumpkin in our community supported agriculture share. While most members would carve that squash for Halloween, he had been assured by the CSA staff that properly prepared, it would make fine puree for pie, soup, bread, whatever. When I suggested that we just use it on the porch for decoration, he suggested right back that we may as well send out party invitations to the javelinas. And, while I am most reticent to admit it, he was right.

Which meant that we would in fact be seeding, roasting, peeling, pureeing, draining and straining that pumpkin. And now, weeks later, we have a considerable number of neatly packaged containers of frozen pumpkin puree hogging up space in our tiny freezer.

While I am quite fond of pumpkin and its compatriot spices, I am decidedly not a fan of what the market calls “pumpkin spice.” Most commercially prepared products with that moniker are much too sweet and artificial tasting for me. However, I did not have a standard recipe for pumpkin bread. So I began by comparing various quick bread recipes in order to develop one I would enjoy. Again, most of these were too sweet, given my efforts to enjoy baked goods with less sugar. A gluten free recipe for pumpkin bread with buckwheat flour from Alice Medrich’s Flavor Flours caught my attention immediately, though. The earthy, nutty flavor profile of buckwheat might tone down the over enthusiasm of pumpkin spice…

I got to work making a buckwheat pumpkin bread replacing butter with oil, using wheat flour and reducing sugar. After a number of trials, my spicy buckwheat pumpkin bread came out of the oven and I was hooked. Don’t worry about the trials-there was more than enough pumpkin to make dozens of loaves of pumpkin bread…

Our favorite way to enjoy this bread is for breakfast, slathered with cream cheese and sprinkled with toasted chopped pecans. Sandwiched together with cream cheese and freshly chopped ginger, it makes terrific little sandwiches. I wouldn’t hesitate to top it with a dollop of whipped cream and call it dessert, either. It slices beautifully and freezes well. Wrapped in packages of two slices each, we can pull precisely the amount from the freezer that we want. A full loaf makes a great gift or bake sale item for the holidays, too.

Now I don’t know how you obtain your pumpkin puree. But however that may be, I hope you’ll put some in this spicy quick bread.

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Spicy Buckwheat Pumpkin Bread

Sweet and nutty pumpkin bread, tempered with the earthiness of buckwheat.

Prep Time40

Cook Time40

Total Time1 20

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Quick Bread, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Buckwheat, pumpkin

Servings: 16

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil I use avocado oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour, part white whole wheat as desired
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan.
Combine the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil, brown sugar and eggs together until thickened and lighter in color. Mix in the pumpkin puree, yogurt and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until well blended and smooth. Stir in the pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 35-40 minutes. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool slightly in the pan, 20-30 minutes. Then turn out onto the cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Per slice: 90 calories.
Total fat: 2.2 g
Sat fat: .05 g
Cholesterol: 21 mg.
Sodium: 14 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 15.4 g
Fiber: 1.9 g.
Total sugars: 5.7 g
Protein: 3 g

Pecan Cinnamon Toast

Serving whole wheat bread was a true priority for Mom. So much so that she drove thirty miles round trip to historic Bear’s Mill to purchase freshly stone ground whole-wheat flour. Amazingly, this beautiful old mill still stands today, with a country store and monthly art events. https://www.bearsmill.org But it didn’t stop there… there was evidently a local bakery in the small town closest to our farm. Mom delivered the flour to the baker, who prepared the dough and baked our bread. Sounds kind of like the story of the little red hen! Except those were the days of fluffy white bread. We weren’t exactly standing in line, begging her for the whole-wheat variety.

So what did I do with Mom’s exceedingly nutritious bread? Whenever possible I toasted it just til golden, slathered it with butter and plastered a thick layer of brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Yes, we’re talking cinnamon toast. It amazes me that I was able to get away with this, actually. Maybe she figured with eggs and juice on the side, it wouldn’t kill me too quickly. I would outlive her, and she would not have to observe the damage to my long-term health…

I now bake my own sourdough spelt loaves, normally. (Mom would be proud.) But I happen to be recovering from surgery at the moment. That, along with the typical hot southwest summer, means that only the most basic cooking activity is taking place in our kitchen right now. I’m offering up hearty thanks to the tremendous Don Guerra, James Beard award winning baker at Barrio Bread, for my delicious Heritage Loaf this week. https://www.barriobread.com Made with natural leaven and local heritage grains, this stunning loaf has the tang of sourdough and comes stenciled with Don’s signature saguaro. And we can easily find it on our community supported agriculture pick-up day. No need for the little red hen.

I apparently have also outgrown spreading my whole-wheat toast with sugar. Fortunately, I can still get that rich cinnamon flavor in a slightly healthier vehicle with my toasted pecan and cinnamon spread. This one’s a quick and easy spread for toast that tastes yummy and lasts us through the morning. There’s nothing quite like the rich buttery flavor of toasted pecans, sweetened with date and maple syrup, spiced with cinnamon and orange zest. Want to make it vegan? Substitute coconut butter or even white miso for the tablespoon of butter-the miso option offers up that sweet-and-salty flavor combo that so many people love.

I spread this thickly on a slice of whole-wheat toast, accompanied by fresh fruit and cappuccino. All the enjoyment, none of the guilt.

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Pecan Cinnamon Toast

Whole wheat toast spread with the rich buttery flavor of toasted pecans, sweetened with date and maple syrup, spiced with cinnamon and orange zest.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup pecans
1 large Medjool date, pitted
1 tbsp Butter or coconut butter, or white miso
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the pecans into an oven safe dish and toast for 5-7 minutes, until you can smell the toasty aroma. Remove and cool while gathering remaining ingredients.
Put the toasted pecans into the work bowl of the food processor. Pulse to break them up into bits. Add the remaining ingredients and process to make a chunky spread.

Summer Bowl of Oats

Oats were pretty clear-cut in Mom’s kitchen. They were simmered in water ‘til thick and dowsed with brown sugar and milk, or used as a baking ingredient.

No one was making “overnight oats” in those days. Overnight oats do have a predecessor, called Swiss Bircher muesli. However, this recipe called for a fraction of the oats used today. Several tablespoons of oats were soaked in water overnight, squeezed dry and joined by considerably larger amounts of grated fresh apple, chopped nuts and condensed milk at breakfast time. I believe I tried this once, but didn’t find it to be near as internationally delicious as it seemed it should be.

No one is making overnight oats in my kitchen now either, despite their apparent popularity. Cold sodden oats are simply not part of my breakfast routine. I find them to be a bit on the slimy side after their protracted overnight soak… At the same time, I’m certainly not sitting down to a bowl of steaming hot oatmeal given that it’s hot enough to melt cacti here in the desert summer. Thankfully, a terrific recipe developer and cookbook writer named Maria Speck has solved my summer oats problem in her book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. (https://mariaspeck.com)

While she calls it muesli, it’s not the Swiss overnight cereal; it’s more of a template than a true recipe. Rolled oats are combined with dried fruit, seeds, nuts and spices in a dry mix, and stored in the pantry. To prepare, the oat mix is combined with an equal amount of milk, then microwaved for about 45 seconds. The dish sits for a few minutes to soften the oats. This makes a delicious room temperature bowl of oats that retains its texture and “chew.” The oats provide a blank canvas for bursts of flavor and texture from the fruit, nuts and spices, and the possible combinations are endless, sweetened and spiced just to the cook’s taste.

The one that sits in my cupboard most frequently includes pecans, tart dried cherries, coconut and bits of shaved dark chocolate, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. The mixture is sweetened with little nuggets of diced dates rolled in a mixture of brown sugar and almond meal. The morsels of chocolate delightfully melt into hidden pockets of the cereal. (Only one of Ms. Speck’s combinations includes chocolate, but it seems to sneak into all of mine. Truly a mystery.) I add a sprinkle of flax meal and hemp seed after heating for fiber and additional protein, then top it with fresh berries and/or sliced stone fruit and extra pecans.

It’s a delicious breakfast bowl that is quick, remarkably easy and satisfying on hot summer mornings. Not too hot, not too cold… it’s just right.

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5 from 1 vote

Summer Bowl of Oats

Chewy bowl of oats prepared muesli style, with dried cherries, coconut, pecans, and spices.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: oats, summer

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Cereal:

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tbsp shaved dark chocolate, or mini-chips
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp almond flour

To Prepare

milk of choice (I use almond milk)
vanilla (optional)

Toppings:

flax meal
hemp seeds
sliced berries or stone fruit
chopped nuts

Instructions

Cereal:

Combine the oats, nuts, coconut, chocolate, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Pit and dice the dates. Combine the brown sugar and almond flour, then sprinkle over the dates. Rub the flour and sugar mixture into the dates to coat and separate the pieces. Stir this mix into the oats, and combine well. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.

To Prepare individual servings:

Measure out ½ cup of the oat mix into a cereal bowl. Pour ½ cup milk over the cereal, adding a few drop of vanilla extract if desired. Microwave individual servings for approximately 45 seconds. Remove and allow to sit for several minutes to thicken. Sprinkle each bowl with 1 teaspoon each flax meal and hemp seeds, then top liberally with fresh fruit of your choice and chopped nuts.

Crepes with Roasted Balsamic Berries

Listen to the soft calls of the mourning dove and bright chirp of the bobwhite. These were the summer sounds I heard each morning, waking to the sun streaming in my east window. Mornings like this meant I was probably on school break, no early morning commitments or rushing to make the school bus. It also meant that Mom was likely in the kitchen, with breakfast on the go. And on the best mornings, she was making crepes.

Crepes are super thin, egg rich pancakes, originating in France. Made without sugar, they are delicious on their own, with butter and maple syrup, which is how Mom served them for breakfast. I always envied the ease with which she rolled hers into neat cylinders, the syrup pooling around the edges. Crepes also provide a neutral canvas for both savory and sweet applications, ranging from combinations of creamed vegetables and proteins to dessert crepes with sweet, creamy fillings. The “in or out” status of the crepe varies with time here, it seems. Restaurants with the entire menu consisting of crepes with various fillings and toppings have been popular at various points in my life. And yes, there was an appliance at one time called the crepe maker. While not particularly in vogue at the moment, I can always order them at our local French bistro, where they never go out of style. Or get out my trusty seasoned cast iron skillet and make them myself.

Crepes are versatile pancakes. I’ve made absolutely beautiful crepes from buckwheat, oat, whole grain and white flours. They are a bit tricky to make the first time, though. The batter is quite thin, and quickly poured and swirled to coat the bottom of the skillet. I use an 8-inch cast iron skillet; much larger and you might end up with scrambled crepes! Slide a narrow spatula underneath one edge to the middle, then a quick flip. You’ll find many recipes with varying proportions of eggs to flour to liquid, affecting how easy this process is. Mom’s recipe was particularly delicate as she emphasized the egg with less flour and milk. The recipe I’m posting has a bit more flour and milk, allowing it to swirl easily in the pan, while being simpler to flip. Can one make them plant based? I have made them successfully with Just Egg, though they are more delicate and harder to flip. There are vegan versions, which omit the eggs completely, but I’d have a tough time calling those crepes…

The ones I’ve prepared today are filled with Greek yogurt, and topped with a balsamic roasted berry medley. A sprinkle of toasted almonds results in a high protein breakfast that fuels me throughout the morning. The same bird sounds wake me these days, along with the raucous call of the Gambel’s quail. Sun still streams in the window, but the only way there will be crepes for breakfast is if I make them…

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Crepes with Balsamic Roasted Berries

Egg rich, ultra-thin pancakes, served with Greek yogurt and balsamic roasted berries.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: crepe, Eggy

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Basic Crepes

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour can use white whole wheat or all-purpose
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk or alt milk
1 tbsp neutral flavored oil I use avacado
oil, for the skillet

Balsamic Roasted Berries

1 lb berries I used strawberries and blueberries
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/3 cup Greek yogurt to serve
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Basic Crepes

Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. In separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, milk and oil. Add all at once to the flour mixture, then whisk until smooth. This can also be done in a blender.
Heat a well seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet or similar sized non-stick skillet over medium heat, then brush lightly with oil. For each crepe, pour a scant 1/4-cup of batter into the skillet, then quickly rotate the pan to swirl the batter and cover the bottom. Cook for around a minute, until the edges begin to crisp and pull up from the edge of the skillet. Using a thin pancake turner, insert under the edge and push gently to the middle. Quickly flip and cook briefly to brown the other side. Remove to a plate, and repeat until all the batter is used.

Balsamic Roasted Berries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the berries onto a sided sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vineger, then sprinkle with the brown sugar. Combine well to coat the berries. Place them into the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, until the berries are soft and juices have released. Remove.

Serving

In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with about one third of the roasted berries. Use this to fill the crepes, roll up and place on serving plates, two per serving. Top with the remaining berries and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Homemade Applesauce

recipe image — Applesauce with cream and chopped nuts

Early fall meant applesauce, an all-day epic endeavor. It was the final hot, steamy preservation project of the year, thankfully. Mom was quite particular about her applesauce, made with yellow transparent apples. Don’t bother suggesting any other variety to her, it was yellow transparent or bust. Fortunately, my Dad’s cousin Fran had a large grove of yellow transparent apple trees, or it would have been bust. Fran was delighted to see us, for those trees produced more than they could possibly use.

The transparent was the palest of green/yellow apple with a crisp white interior. High in acidity, these apples were decidedly not for eating raw, but made incredible applesauce. Mom had a vintage applesauce strainer with a long wooden pestle. The apples were washed, cut into pieces and cooked down to a creamy consistency in a bit of water. Once soft, they were reamed through the strainer, pressing all the pulp through, the peels and seeds left behind. The hot applesauce had to be sweetened just so, after which it was cooled. Packed into plastic bags and cardboard cartons, we filled the freezer, for it was one of our main sources of fruit in the winter. Mom’s favorite way of serving her applesauce was partially thawed, leaving it icy cold with frozen bits of sweetness. It was delicious.

Once off the farm, serving applesauce left me to the mercy of the grocery store…

It obviously was someone’s job to search for the worst possible apple varieties, because while the label said “applesauce,” that stuff was decidedly mediocre. That’s actually giving it more credit that it was due… Its consumption was resigned to the years in which we were starting solid foods to our babies. Poor kids!

One of our babies grew enough to attend kindergarten at the local public school. Where his inspired teacher made applesauce with the kids, after which they wrote about the experience. By popular demand she sent the recipe with the students to make at home. Her name is withheld to protect the innocent, but the recipe was titled Mrs. _______’s Lumpy-Bumpy Applesauce. This sauce was absolutely nothing like Mom’s, yet it was absolutely yummy. Chunky rather than smooth, but well balanced and full of flavor, with no transparent apples in sight.

Turns out the key is using a mix of several different varieties of apple. Since each combination is unique, it’s important to adjust the amount of sweetening to taste. I like to cook the apples with the peel, then strain it in my food mill, which keeps the lumpy bumpy consistency and provides a beautiful pink color, though if peeled the whole straining process can be skipped. Depth of flavor develops with the addition of cinnamon, citrus and a dollop of yes, brandy. Which I suppose you could omit, if you really need to. But I wouldn’t… While this applesauce is delicious on its own, drizzling with a spoonful of cream and a sprinkle of toasted nuts puts it in dessert territory. Mom wouldn’t recognize it, I suppose, but she might still like it…

Sometimes I need to remind myself. Homemade is best.

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Applesauce

Sweet-tart applesauce with notes of cinnamon and brandy.

Prep Time1

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apples

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 large apples I like a mix of Gala, Fuji and Pink Lady
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp brandy
1 medium lemon, juice and zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp honey
1/4 cup cream optional
1/4 cup nuts, toasted and chopped optional

Instructions

Wash, quarter and core the apples. Cut the quarters into several pieces and place into a large saucepan with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook the apples for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Allow to cool slightly.
Turn the apples and liquid into a reamer or food mill, turning until the pulp is strained through and peel is left behind. Return the apple puree to the saucepan and add the cinnamon, brandy, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla. Begin with 2 tablespoons of honey, stir and taste. If the sauce is too tart, continue to add honey and taste until desired level of sweetness is reached
To serve as dessert, drizzle each serving with the optional cream. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Notes

To skip the straining step, simply peel and core the apples prior to cooking.

Chocolaty Fig Smoothie

July brought its usual heat and humidity to the desert southwest. Given last summer’s “nonsoon,” thankfully it also brought satisfactory monsoon rains to a parched landscape. However, it appeared that it would not be bringing my figs. None at the farmer’s market… a few at Trader Joes. And then I heard the crunch of tires on gravel, announcing the arrival of my neighbor with a beautiful pound of fresh-from-the-tree figs. Fresh figs with goat cheese and honey. Yum. A new batch of fig frozen yogurt. Delish. And then the crunch of tires again. And again, each time my neighbor bringing several pounds of figs in quick succession. We went from fig famine to fig feast in a matter of hours- about six pounds worth. Now should you be a fig neophyte (which you shouldn’t be, as I’ve been raving about them for years) you might not know how perishable they are. As in they should be used within several days of acquisition. Six pounds is a hefty amount of figs to be consumed very quickly. We ate them daily, ignoring all the fruit I had purchased at the store. Fig and fennel salad went to a friend’s dinner party. I pureed some to make a fig tweaked oatmeal muffin, but these babies were on the downhill slide…

I have always fought preserving figs, because they are so delicious in their fresh state, and I still refuse to dry them. But six pounds of figs called for drastic measures, so the figs now lie in frozen repose in my refrigerator freezer. As I consider the best way to use frozen figs, my breakfast smoothie comes to mind. We have a breakfast smoothie once a week during the heat of summer, typically. I’m a relative newcomer to making smoothies. I’m not even sure when they became so popular. Perhaps I thought it was a requirement that some green thing like spinach had to be sneaked into them. While people swear that those few leaves of green will never be noticed, I beg to differ. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I’m not a huge fan of bananas. Not much in the way of smoothies in my years on the farm, either. There was seldom a shortage of ice cream in the freezer, usually vanilla and my dad’s favorite vanilla fudge marble. Both of which made thick and rich milkshakes. But fruit smoothies? Not so much.

My base recipe is chocolate, and it comes from Marco Canora’s health revelation book, A Good Food Day. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/223199/a-good-food-day-by-marco-canora-with-tammy-walker-with-a-foreword-by-tim-ferriss/ The cacao powder and nut butter in Marco’s recipe somewhat disguises the banana, which is fine by me, and I often substitute frozen dark cherries for half of the banana anyway, so why not figs? I love the flavor combination of figs with honey and pistachio, but they also combine quite delightfully with chocolate. A nutritious breakfast smoothie combines complex carb from the fruit with protein, fiber and healthy fat. Figs are high fiber fruit, supplemented by flax meal for Omega-3 fats, hemp hearts for protein and a bit of vanilla. The sweetness of figs cancels any need for extra sweetening. This recipe makes one large, or two medium-ish smoothies. We enjoy the smaller size with a slice of toast alongside.

The recipe is quick and easy, though the fruit has to be frozen in advance. And should your kitchen not be overflowing with figs, there are other options. Trader Joe’s carries a semi-dried fig in their freezer case. And my go-to smoothie substitutes frozen dark cherries for half of the banana, producing a frosty drink reminiscent of dark forest cake. Whichever one you try, this smoothie makes a refreshing and satisfying breakfast in the heat of summer. Quick and easy breakfast- don’t leave home without it.

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Chocolaty Fig Smoothie

Frosty cold fruit smoothie with figs and banana.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: figs, smoothie

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk I use almond milk
3 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp ground flax meal
1/2 large banana, sliced and frozen
3-4 plump figs, stemmed, quartered and frozen
1 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup crushed ice optional

Instructions

Place the ingredients into the blender, in the order given. Blend on high until smooth. The time required will vary with the speed of the blender. If you like the smoothie to be extra frosty and thick, stop the blender and add the crushed ice, then blend again until the mixture is smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve.