Whole Wheat Oatmeal Quick Bread

After some experimentation, this is adapted from a few different recipes I found online.  It's nothing but whole grains, and unlike many quick breads it is made in a free-form loaf rather than a loaf pan.  The texture is satisfyingly hearty and toothsome but not too heavy.  It's best eaten fresh, but not at all bad the next day.  I find it just a little addictive.

I buy soft wheat from Upinngil Farm or Four Star Farms (available at Green Fields Market) and grind it into whole wheat pastry flour.  This yields a wonderful flavor but a somewhat fluffier and coarser flour than what you get if you just buy whole wheat pastry flour at the store.

1 cup coarsely ground oat flour or instant oats (not old fashioned rolled)
1 1/2 - 2 cups freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour (store bought may need less)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp honey (use less or more depending on sweetness desired)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 - 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine oatmeal, whole wheat pastry flour (start with 1 - 1 1/2 cups), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine honey, oil, and milk (start with 3/4 cup) in a small bowl and mix well (honey will tend to stiffen with cold milk, so stir well).  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Add additional flour or milk if needed to form a soft but not too sticky dough.  It will not have the consistency of a yeasted bread dough, but you want to be able to handle it.  Form it into a roll about 2-3 inches across and 6 inches long.  Place on a baking stone or lightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Makes 1 loaf.  Serves 4-6 as an accompaniment to soup, etc.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

This is what I had for breakfast this morning--a good cool weather start to the day. I like to use steel cut oats, but this works with rolled oats as well. Just don't use the instant kind, because you need the apples to cook for a couple minutes. I like it with the apples just softened a bit, not turned to mush. If you like them softer, add them earlier in the process.

Prepare oatmeal of your choice. A few minutes before it is done, stir in about half an apple per person, diced (peel or not as desired) and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If using particularly tart apples, add a teaspoon or so of brown sugar.

I also like ripe pears on my oatmeal in the fall, but these are better raw.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Blueberry season will be ending before long, but if you're like me, you have stockpiled berries in the freezer to use through the long winter. I find that frozen berries actually often work better than fresh in muffins and other baked goods, which is a happy coincidence since summer is not prime baking season. I love the blueberry cinnamon combination in these muffins, which also give you a good dose of whole grains. If you have fresh buttermilk available, you can use it in place of some or all of the milk.

1 generous cup rolled oats
1 generous cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 large eggs, well-beaten
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp powdered buttermilk (optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400˚. Grease muffins tins to make 12 large or 18 medium muffins.

Mix the rolled oats and milk together in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Stir the eggs, vanilla (if using), vegetable oil, and brown sugar into the oatmeal and milk mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, powdered buttermilk (if using), cinnamon, and salt. Add to the oatmeal mixture and mix until well blended. If using fresh or frozen blueberries, stir them into the batter.

Spoon the batter into muffin tins, filling them about three-quarters of the way. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Makes about 12 large or 18 medium muffins.

Oatmeal with Dried Peaches

Back in September, I dried a bunch of peaches from Clarkdale. I did them in thin slices, so the end product is quite crisp. Now I am breaking them up into my morning oatmeal as it simmers on the stove, so that by the time it is ready, the peaches are soft, flavorful little nuggets that bring back a hint of warmer weather. Yum!

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Did you freeze blueberries last summer when they were in season? If so, this is a great way to use them--along with local milk, eggs, and maple syrup, of course. These are a little denser and chewier than standard pancakes, but in a good way.

1 cup milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs, well beaten
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Maple syrup for topping

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and rolled oats. Let soak about 5 minutes.

Stir all the remaining ingredients into the oatmeal and milk and blend well.

Cook the pancakes on a hot, lightly oiled skillet, turning when the top is bubbly. Keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven or on a covered plate until you finish making the rest.

Serve hot with good quality maple syrup.

Serves 2-3.

Variations: Substitute 1 tsp nutmeg for the cinnamon. Also, try chopped fresh apples in place of the blueberries.