Breakfast Breakout Star: Early Bird Granola

A half-cup of this granola makes for a satisfying breakfast.

We thought we knew what love was when it came to food. It was our mother’s lasagna, oozing ricotta cheese; it was fresh briny sashimi; pasta carbonara; stracciatella gelato. Love was not granola. Respect, yes, but not love. And so when we received samples of Early Bird Granola, “gathered in Brooklyn,” the label boasted, we put the packages aside until, out of yogurt one morning, we poured out a half-cup along with some nonfat milk and sat down at our breakfast table with the Los Angeles Times.

It was love at first bite. Here was a complex unfolding of flavors and textures — sweet, salty and a savoriness that seemed altogether unfamiliar in a breakfast cereal, a deeply satisfying crunch and toastiness. You can see what sets this granola apart by reading the short ingredients list: organic rolled oats, toasted coconut, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pecans, Vermont maple syrup, brown sugar, salt and — here’s the surprise — extra-virgin olive oil. (Store-bought granolas typically use cheaper, less flavorful oils, such as palm kernel, canola or safflower). The Aloha variation on the original Farmhand’s Choice recipe adds mango and macadamia nuts, while the third variety, Jubilee, contains dried sour cherries and pistachio nuts.

The granola is made in small batches by Nekisia Davis, the onetime manager of Brooklyn’s celebrated farm-to-table restaurant Franny’s. Davis started baking up batches of the granola in her kitchen about a year ago, and drew such raves from friends that she began selling the granola at local Brooklyn stores and flea markets. She’s still a one-woman operation.

If you’re in New York, you can find the granola at specialty shops like Bklyn Larder and Murray’s Cheese Shop. For the rest of us, it’s available online at earlybirdfoods.com; $8 for a 12-ounce bag ($9 for the Jubilee variety). Or, on a leisurely weekend morning, consider making your own. Davis was generous enough to share her recipe for the Farmhand’s Choice Granola. Improvise, as you like, adding your favorite dried fruit, nuts or seeds.

Early Bird Farmhand’s Choice Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup coconut chips
1 1/4 cups raw pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade A
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300° F. 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. Bake about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is toasted. Remove baking sheet from oven and season granola with salt. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Makes about 14 half-cup servings.

NUTRITION SCORE (per serving)
472 calories
53% fat
Fat 28 g
Carbs 48 g
Protein 11 g
Fiber 6 g
Calcium 53 mg
Iron 4 mg
Sodium 8 mg

We plan to keep a stash of this tasty granola in our desk. What’s your favorite afternoon snack?

Tags: Agriculture, Bklyn Larder, Botany, Breakfast cereals, Food and drink, Granola, Hospitality/Recreation, Macadamia, manager of Brooklyn, Nekisia Davis, New York City, Nut, olive oil, onetime manager, Pecan, Pistachio, restaurant Franny, Snack foods, Sugar, USD, Vermont