Granola Recipe

225g honey
2tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

500g oat flakes
150g chopped almonds
50g sunflower seeds
50g flax seed
50g wheat germ

125g raisins or other dried fruit

Preheat oven to 150c.

Stir the first four ingredients in a saucepan over low heat the honey reaches a thin pouring consistency.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oats nuts wheat germ and seeds. Pour the warm oil & honey mixture and stir it all together with a wooden spoon until everything is coated nice and evenly. Do this quickly because it gets difficult as the honey cools.

Spread this sticky concoction evenly onto two lightly oiled baking sheets, and bake one at a time on the middle shelf in the oven for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure the granola bakes evenly. When finished, spread out on a clean, cool work surface to cool completely before adding the raisin. Store in an air-tight container for up to four weeks.

This recipe is a basic granola recipe that forms the base of all our holiday breakfasts. For Boot Camp, we leave out the sunflower oil. To make the granola suit your personal taste, any combination of dried fruits and nuts can be used in addition to or instead of the raisins.

Some ideas:

Coconut flakes, dried pineapple and papaya.

Dried blueberries and hazelnuts.

Dried raspberries and cashews.

Michael Pollan - Unhappy Meals

In January 2007, The New York Times Magazine published an essay by Michael Pollan. The article was titled Unhappy Meals and is a follow-up to his acclaimed 2006 book The Omnivore's Dilemma. The book is a 400 page answer to the seemingly simple question he puts forth in the first sentence: "What should we have for dinner?" He addresses America's National eating disorder, "As a culture we seem to have arrived at a place where whatever native wisdom we may have had about eating has been replaced by confusion and anxiety."

The book follows four meals and their journey through three very different food-chains, the Industrial, the Organic and the Personal (Hunter Gatherer). For what it's worth, it is my opinion that Pollan, more than anyone, has got his "finger on the pulse" in these times of ever-conflicting opinions and attitudes surrounding diet, food science, agriculture and what it means to eat in, live in, and contribute to a food culture in the twenty-first century. His entertaining and accessible writing style refuses to cross into the realm of condescension or preaching as he addresses issues wide and varied. These issues mostly focus on how food gets from the farm to our plates and how we might be better off if we made more informed decisions about our place in the food chain.

If you eat, I highly recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma.

At least check out these essays:

Unhappy Meals - A follow-up essay to the Omnivore's Dilemma
No Bar Code - An excerpt from The Omnivore's Dilemma
An Animal's Place - The essay that planted the seed for the book

LIsten to an interview with Michael Pollan on National Public Radio.

Introducing Free-range Fodder

Well our first season is coming to a close. I'm delighted to have some free time to experiment with new recipes and excited about creating new menus for 2008. I'm also excited to start this blog. Why? I don't really know. Through my crystal ball, I can see a future of having no free time to post regularly, extremely long gaps between updates, and periods of downright stagnation. However, I have decided to embrace this little side project with as much enthusiasm that can be afforded by one who has recently moved countries and is in the first year of starting a new business.

Conceptually, the the idea for this blog comes barely germinated. It will have to evolve, and I'm not exactly sure how it will unfold. Basically, it was born as a response from guests who frequently request recipes. I envision an interactive platform that will encourage and simplify the exchange of these recipes, as well as providing an avenue to discuss vegetarian food, whole foods and the slow food movement. All of this interspersed with a bit of general news about Free-range Holidays, and my own ramblings on food and drink related topics.

So, with no further ado, enjoy the recipes and ramblings......