Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [31]
2 Meanwhile, prepare the roasted grapes. Position a rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler for 5 minutes. Spread the grapes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the honey and toss to combine. Broil until the grapes just start to shrivel and release some juices as they burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately transfer the grapes with their juices to a heatproof bowl.
3 To finish, add the cream and vanilla extract to the farro and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until the cream thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons honey, add the grapes with their juices and cook just long enough to reheat the fruit, about 2 minutes. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve warm with more honey on the side.
TO GET A HEAD START: Make the farro, as in step 1, ahead. The grapes can also be roasted 1 day ahead. Chill, covered.
TO VARY IT: If you like a bit more chewiness, try other berries from the wheat family such as spelt, Kamut, or soft whole wheat. You will need a scant 3 cups (see "Slow-Cooking Whole Grains").
Citrus Oatmeal with Apricots and Golden Raisins
Cooking perfectly creamy steel-cut oats is time–consuming—plus I never seem to be able to get the temperature right. The oats boil over and I’m left with a veritable mess on the stove. One day, I tried to speed up the process by parboiling the grain the night before, and the next morning my oatmeal was ready in minutes. No nerve-wracking cleanup, either. Best of all, I believe that this method truly brings out the best in steel-cut oats, resulting in tender grains with a nice chewiness. I add the dried fruit in two stages. First, I mix in the raisins to let them release their sweetness, adding the apricots later so they don’t become mushy and retain their fragrance. SERVES 4 TO 6
STEEL-CUT OATS
2 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
¼ cup golden raisins
1 (2-inch) piece cinnamon stick
OATMEAL
1 cup water
1 cup whole or lowfat milk
¼ cup chopped dried apricots, preferably Blenheim
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Turbinado or brown sugar, for sprinkling
1 Prepare the steel-cut oats the night before: Bring the water, oats, raisins, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes over medium to medium-low heat, stirring a few times. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit at room temperature until the water is absorbed, about 1 hour. Allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2 The next morning, finish the oatmeal: Add the water, milk, dried apricots, and salt to the pot with the oats. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps of grain. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the oats are creamy but still slightly chewy. (Or, for a thicker oatmeal, cook uncovered at a gentle bubble, stirring a few times.) Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the orange zest. Divide the oatmeal among bowls and serve, sprinkled with the turbinado sugar.
TO GET A HEAD START: The steel-cut oats, as in step 1, can be prepared up to 5 days ahead. Chill, covered.
TO VARY IT: I like tangy Blenheim apricots here, to contrast with the sweet golden raisins; but you can use any combination of dried fruit you enjoy. Replace the orange zest with lemon zest to add zing.
TO MAKE IT A FEAST: Use cream or half-and-half instead of milk to splurge on a Sunday.
Honey-Nut Granola with Olive Oil
A mild extra-virgin olive oil gives this crisp granola a subtle fragrance that you will be hard-pressed to pinpoint—so don’t hesitate to use it instead of common vegetable oil. Do I need to say that this is way better than any granola you’ve ever had? Try it for yourself, in a bowl with milk or yogurt, or just grab a handful for a snack. This blend will keep for a week,