San Francisco Chronicle

Mixed Grain Porridge With Roasted Stone Fruit

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Serves 4 to 6

The beauty of this sweet porridge is that the fruit compote topping is so simple, it can shift with the seasons. In early spring, Kristen Rasmussen makes the compote using rhubarb that grows in a neighbor’s garden. Strawberri­es would also be a lovely addition. In the fall, apples and pears would be good, too. The compote and cardamom crisp that top the porridge can be made a couple of days ahead, so it’s wise to make enough for several batches of porridge.

Stone fruit compote

1 pound stone fruit (peaches, apricots or plums), pitted and chopped ¼ cup brown sugar

Cardamom crisp

1 cup spelt flakes or rolled oats ¾ cup almonds, chopped 1 tablespoon flax seeds 2 tablespoon­s maple syrup 2 tablespoon­s grapeseed or canola oil 6 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed (discard the pods) 2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus more to taste ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Porridge

1 cup whole grain hot cereal mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 6-grain blend, or steel-cut oats 5 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed (discard the pods) 3 tablespoon­s brown sugar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

To serve

Plain yogurt Maple syrup 4 bay nuts, roasted and grated (optional) Edible wild flowers, such as redbud, vetchor clover, for garnish (optional)

To make the compote: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toss the fruit with the brown sugar and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until soft and slightly caramelize­d, about 45 minutes, stirring about halfway through. To make the crisp: Toss all the ingredient­s together and spread evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at the same time as the fruit compote until golden brown, stirring about halfway through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan, and then transfer to air-tight container. Store at room temperatur­e. (You’ll have leftover crisp, which you can use for future bowls of porridge or with yogurt.)

To make the porridge: Add the cereal mix to a medium saucepan, along with 4 cups of water, the cardamom and 2 tablespoon­s of brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasional­ly. Add an additional ½ cup water and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring in more water as needed to achieve your desired porridge texture. Stir in the final 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, plus the salt. Keep warm.

To serve: Ladle porridge into serving bowls and top each with some of the compote, crisp and a spoonful of yogurt. Drizzle with the maple syrup and garnish with the bay nuts and wild flowers, if using.

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