I lost my husband to rock and roll over this past weekend. Jedd was doing some recording with EEF in Boston, so I had the apartment – and, of course, the cats – to myself.
So, on Saturday while Big Ginger Kitten and Little Black Kitten wandered from room to room following sunbeams, I cranked music in the kitchen and cooked from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
I talked to my mother on Saturday evening and told her that Jedd would faint straight away if he saw the kitchen. I can generally make a mess – but I’d outdone myself. Dirty pans groaned under the weight of even dirtier dishes in the sink. Towels under cooling racks were on every conceivable (and improbable) surface.
But it smelled fantastic. Plus, I had until Sunday to clean.
“Well, it’s a good thing that Jedd’s not coming home until tomorrow night,” my mother said.
And we laughed.
An hour later Jedd called from New Hampshire. Plans changed, and he was coming home Saturday night.
“Hey, that’s awesome! Head’s up though, the kitchen is beyond trashed. I’ve been cooking all day.”
“Did you have fun?”
“I did.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Well, I’ll try to make sure you can walk through the kitchen when you get home. But, here’s the good news – I made cardamom, cherry, and dark chocolate granola.”
“That sounds good. I’ll grab a bottle of wine from New Hampshire. See you in a few hours.”
A Saturday night with granola, wine and a surprise visit from my husband? Not a bad evening at all.
Oh, and I even managed to clean up a good deal of the mess before he got home.
Cardamom, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate Granola
Yields 5 cups.
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used “Grade B,” but any will work)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried cherries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, chocolate chips, kosher salt and cardamom.
In a separate bowl, stir together the maple syrup and oil. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir well.
Spoon the granola out evenly onto a large, rimmed sheet pan. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes, stirring well every 15 minutes.
When the granola is browned and crispy, add the cherries.
Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)