Over Labor Day weekend, Andy and I rented a Prius and drove up to Montreal. Our favorite thing about the city was their quick and easy bike rental system. We signed up for 24 hours and were able to pick up and drop off bikes from hundreds of locations all over the city. When you only have a weekend to see a big city, this is a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.
One afternoon, we biked over to the famous Jean-Talon market where we met Aimée from Simple Bites and her lovely family. It was helpful to have a local guide who showed us where to find all the truly special loot. The market was full of gorgeous, fresh summer produce, but also speckled with cool weather delights. Our minds were already on autumn so we stocked up on things like warm donuts, organic apple ice cider, honeycrisp apples, and maple syrup. We bought mulling spices like star anise and sticks of cinnamon and gorgeous local cheeses we later devoured with big red wine. And, of course, we picked up three cans of maple syrup. When I got back home, I told mom we absolutely had to use it in something. We settled on granola – with apples and cinnamon, of course!
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup each: dried cranberries and chopped dried apple
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Mix oats, flaxseed meal, salt, and walnuts in a medium bowl. Bring maple syrup, oil, water, and cinnamon to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle over oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into a 13-by 9-inch pan coated with vegetable cooking spray. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir in cranberries and apples. Continue to bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let cool and serve. (Can be stored in an airtight tin for 1 month.)
Do lovely! MMMm I could almost smell the market as I read you post! xoxo