hazelnuts – Page 6 – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Almost a year ago, I wrote about a new beginning, my desire to meet new people, and to connect to place. Having grown up on a ranch where we were seemingly always connected to neighbors who often shared their honey, lamb, fruit, or eggs while we returned the favor with armfuls of zucchini, beef, and cookies(!), it is natural for me to connect to a place through its food and farmers. Food is precious, unique to place, and meant to be celebrated as such. I’d like for us all to return to that mantra, in whatever way we can best make it so.

I have high aspirations to grow my own, get to know my farmers, and to share the abundance. The truth is though, I live in a tiny dark apartment under a canopy of giant oak trees. It is shady and I haven’t even been able to successfully grow herbs in the windowsill. I have a community garden plot full of packed clay soil, but at least it’s growing something. (Lots of things, actually!) I’m working on it.

Because life also has room for trade, trying flavors from afar, and celebrating with foods that just won’t grow nearby, I have been finding ways to integrate local flavors into even the most international of themes. It is a balance and I’m still fine-tuning. Mostly though, I’m excited that the Willamette Valley is seeing a resurgence in local grains and pulses–and millers!

Though there are dreams aplenty ’round these parts, I’m holding out for a larger piece of land for my buckwheat and oat plot. In the meantime, I’m excited to be trying out a couple different varieties of “dry beans” in the garden. There is more to eating locally these days than fruits and vegetables–and that is exciting!

How do you connect to your community?

This porridge is raw, Middle-Eastern and June-inspired, and features edible flowers as part of this month’s Recipe Redux theme. There are roses blooming now and the weather has been continuously summer-like. Buckwheat is gluten-free, nutritious, locally grown and processed here (albeit still somewhat seasonally available), and super quick to blitz up on an early summer morning when there is a desire for nutritious, filling, and uncooked.

There are local hazelnuts and honey too, along with rose petals that can be gathered and dried. All together, I’ve gathered the makings of a quick, super delicious breakfast. Top with the berries of the season: Here, we are right at the beginning of blueberries.

Raw Buckwheat Porridge with Hazelnuts and Rose Water

Serves 2–3

3/4 cup raw buckwheat groats, soaked overnight

1 1/2 tsp. rose water

1/2- 3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbs. raw honey

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

blueberries, by the handful

dried rose petals, to taste

Drain soaked buckwheat and pour into a food processor. Pulse a few times until the grains are starting to break apart.
Measure in the rose water, cardamom to taste, vanilla, and honey. Puree until smooth.
Pour out into your container of choice and top with hazelnuts, berries, and rose petals. Enjoy!

My mother and I have an arrangement. She gives me jam and pickled beets and the like, and I return the empty jars to her for the next go round. Except when I don’t return the jars and begin to use them as my new Tupperware for traveling. Usually it’s trail mix, granola or this time around, To-Go Oats. She always eventually gets the jars back, as I start collecting too many. In the meantime I have an excellent collection of portable containers.

The last several years have seen me as an on again/off again weekend traveler. These next few weeks are no exception, as I will be on the road again and again until mid-September. I am definitely counting down the days (less than 30, I hope!) until W moves back for good. I’m squirming in my seat and imagining all the activities we can enjoy together that have been missed this last year. I just can’t wait.

Though I’ve always been big on traveling with food and eating a consistent diet no matter the circumstances, after discovering all of those pesky dietary restrictions in the last couple years, it has become mandatory to travel with a bit of food insurance. Throwing a batch of oats with all the fixings into a pan is my thing. I can leave the cooler with every random pantry item that I mightneed at home. Instead, breakfast is all there in a convenient jar to be poured into a pan and made into a bowl of goodness.

I like to add both old-fashioned thick oats and steel cut oats because I like lotsof texture. This batch includes a strangely addicting mix of fennel seeds, dried apricots, cinnamon and roasted hazelnuts. It is happiness in a jar. I always add fresh fruit, and this time around decided to double up on apricots, adding fresh red apricots to the top once cooked. The beauty of this mixture is if you’re an oat and yogurt kinda person, this is practically muesli-esque and can be used both ways.

Did I mention I am excited to now be participating in Recipe Redux? This month’s theme is Raising the Bar on Food in a Jar.

Apricot & Roasted Hazelnut To-Go Oats, serves 1

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats*

2 Tbs. steel cut oats*

2-3 dried apricots, diced

1 Tbs. roasted Hazelnuts, chopped

1 Tbs. brown sugar or to taste

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

dash fennel seeds

1-2 fresh apricots or any available fresh fruit

Measure into a clean jar, spin the lid, and shake. You’re ready to go!
To cook, boil 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add entire contents of jar, turn heat to medium and cook about five to 10 minutes, depending on desired consistency.

* I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats, but any brand will work, if you’ve no gluten problems.