Granola? Yes, Thanks.

Granola.

Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. I kind of left it behind awhile back. There were the variety of store-bought granola-type bars that my daughter favored when she was young, which were too coyingly sweet. And, the lack of good things to mix it with (no dairy, and I don't like "replacement milks" for anything but baking), made it possible for me to forget about granola.

Recently, I saw this recipe on Food52 and knew I hd to try it. For one thing, it has Olive Oil in it, how great is that for someone (me) who loves to mix sweet and savory flavors? And, it offered an easy way to mix in as many nuts as I wanted, which, I realized, was lacking in your standard issued granola. I happened to have most everything the recipe called for in the house, so I set to making it.

I adjusted the type of nuts (instead of pecans, I used walnuts and almonds), and forgot to add the salt (which I now regret and will do next time), extended the baking time (because I love crispy, crunchy and toasty stuff) and ended up with the best tasting granola I've ever had.

The big bonus of the day, aside from cups and cups of great tasting granola? Our upstairs neighbor came down the a few hours after I had baked the granola and said he had to come see what I was making because it smelled so good in their apartment. He took a batch with him and was very happy with the offering.

On my next round, I'm going to reduce the amout of brown sugar and maple syrup, because, I guess, in my old age, my sweet tooth is diminishing. Other than that, this makes a huge batch of delicious granola that I will make again and again.

Granola with Nuts, Coconut Maple Syrup and Olive Oil

Original recipe appears here, on the Food52 website, thanks Nekasia Davis

Makes about 7 cups

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
• 1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped (I used half walnuts and half almonds instead of the pecans)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• Coarse salt

• Heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
• Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.