WHOL

E
GRAI
NMORNI
NGS

Contents
Beginnings 1
The Pantry 7

The Basics
24

Spring

summer

47

75

coasting

settling in

fall

Winter

103

137

gathering

looking ahead

Sources 166
acknowledgments 170
Bibliography 171
about the author 172
Index 173

Chapter Title

61

California Barley Bowl with

Lemony Yogurt Sauce
If you grew up in Northern California in the 1990s, you lived through the trend that was
sprouts. From alfalfa sprouts to bean sprouts, they seemed to find their way into every
green salad, sandwich, and omelet. This savory whole-grain breakfast bowl is inspired
by those California days, with chunks of ripe avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese, toasty
almonds, and a citrus-sparked yogurt sauce. While alfalfa sprouts were prevalent when I
was growing up, today I try to branch out, using a tangle of colorful bean sprouts or more
delicate radish or sunflower sprouts. These morning bowls couldnt be easier to prepare,
but the barley does take a while to cook; I put a pot on the stove first thing in the morning so itll be ready by the time Ive had my coffee and prepped the other ingredients.
Feel free to experiment with other grains, too. Ive tried this with both quinoa and farro,
and its as wonderful with delicate grains as it is with heartier ones. serves 2, heartily
Morning Notes: Cotija cheese is popular in Mexican and Latin dishes. Its a firm, crumbly
cheese made of cows milk and is used so often because its milder than feta or even goat cheese
and softens with heat but doesnt fully melt. You can also use queso fresco if its easier to find.
1 1 2 cups / 255 g cooked barley,
still warm (see page 23)

4 cup / 20 g sliced almonds, toasted

(see page 12)

1 cup / 55 g bean sprouts, any variety

(I like mung bean sprouts)

4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cup / 60 g crumbled Cotija cheese

or queso fresco

1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted,

and diced or sliced
Lemony Yogurt Sauce (page 72)
Flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper

rr In a small bowl, stir the barley, sprouts, cheese, almonds, and kosher salt together.
Scoop into 2 individual bowls and top with the avocado and a few generous spoonfuls of
yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper and serve.
Make Ahead: Cooking the barley the night before is a great time-saver. Then these bowls
really only take a few minutes to put together.

60

Whole-Grain Mornings

Chapter Title

119

Buckwheat Crepes with

Honeyed Ricotta and Sauted Plums
My friend Keena lives less than a mile away and has a plum tree she cant keep up with.
In early fall, she makes jam with as many plums as she can and sends me home with a big
grocery bag full of them every time I see her. Im not much of a canner, so I began sauting them and using them as a topping for yogurt and porridge, and as a filling for these
simple buckwheat crepes. While buckwheat groats have a pretty distinct flavor and can be
a hard sell for many folks, buckwheat flour is commonly used and adored in both sweet
and savory crepes. For this recipe, use oval-shaped Italian plums (or prune plums) if you
can; theyre nice and firm and lend themselves well to sautingor just plain snacking.
makes about 12 crepes

Morning Notes: The crepe batter needs to rest for at least an hour, so plan accordingly or
make the batter and refrigerate it overnight. If you go that route, the crepes cook best when the
batter is at room temperature, so let it sit out for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.
Crepes
1
2 cup / 65 g buckwheat flour
1

2 cup / 60 g unbleached
all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauted Plums
1
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 pound / 450 g Italian plums (6 to
7 plums), each sliced into 6 wedges

1 cup / 240 ml milk

3

Honeyed Ricotta (page 131)

4 cup / 180 ml buttermilk

Honey, for serving

2 tablespoons butter, melted,

plus more for greasing the pan
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons coconut oil or butter

rr To make the crepes: Whisk the flours, salt, milk, buttermilk, butter, and eggs together
in a large bowl until very smooth. To save arm power, you can blend the ingredients in a
blender instead. Let the batter sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature and up to 1 day in
the refrigerator.
rr Rub a small dab of butter ( 12 tablespoon or so) onto the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch
nonstick crepe pan or saut pan over medium heat and wait until it melts completely. (Too
much butter will make for a soggy crepe.) Pour 14 cup of the batter into the hot pan and tilt

118

Whole-Grain Mornings

continued

Buckwheat Crepes with Honeyed Ricotta and Sauted Plums, continued

it in a circular motion to ensure the batter spreads out into an even layer. Cook over low
heat until the edges start to pull away from the pan, about 2 minutes. Using a nonstick spatula, carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 1 minute. Lay the crepe
on a large plate and repeat until youve gone through all of the batter (its okay to stack the
crepes on the plate). If the crepe pan starts to get too dry, add another little dab of butter. I
tend to cook these quickly while the plums are sauting and assemble them right then, but
if youre chatting with friends and taking your time, keep the finished, unfilled crepes warm
in a 200F oven until ready to assemble.
rr To saut the plums: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
Add the vanilla and honey, swirl the pan so they combine with the coconut oil, and then
add the plums. Saut until juicy and warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
rr To assemble: For each crepe, gently fold the crepe in fourths (fold in half, then in half
again) and dollop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the Honeyed Ricotta and a few sauted plums on
top. Finish with a generous drizzle of honey.
Make It Your Own: These crepes work in any season. Swap out the plums for stone fruit in
the summer or pears and cranberries in the winter. For a more decadent brunch, Ive used mascarpone thinned with just a little Greek yogurt as a topping instead of the ricotta. Alternatively,
try a spoonful of Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (page 133) or, for a jammy filling, try Apricot
Cherry Compote (page 98) or Strawberry Rhubarb Quick Jam (page 71). For a savory option,
make wraps filled with the Greens and Grains Scramble (page 140).
Make Ahead: You can cook the crepes and store them in the refrigerator, stacked between
pieces of waxed or parchment paper, for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to
3 months by allowing the crepes to cool completely, wrapping them well in plastic wrap, and
placing them in an airtight container. To reheat, place them in a glass baking dish or a pie
plate covered with aluminum foil. Heat in a 250F oven until just warmed through.

120

Whole-Grain Mornings

Honeyed Ricotta
This may be my favorite accompaniment in the book. Its wonderful on pretty much
everything, especially Buckwheat Crepes (page 118) or Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes
(page 36), or stirred into The Very Best Oatmeal (page 30). Ricotta is traditionally made
from the whey thats left over from the cheese-making process, and its often extremely
mild. This recipe brightens the simple cheese with a combination of honey, vanilla, and
lemon zesttransforming it into a light morning topping that could rival any high-end
yogurt or jam. makes about 2 cups
15 ounces / 425 g part-skim ricotta

4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

rr In a small bowl, use a whisk to whip all the ingredients together until light and creamy,
1 to 2 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Fall

131

WHOL
E
GRAI
NMORNI
NGS

Copyright 2013 by Megan Gordon

Photographs copyright 2013 by Clare Barboza
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House LLC, New York, a Penguin Random House Company.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are
registered trademarks of Random House LLC.
All photographs by Clare Barboza with the exception of photographs on pages
vi, 6, 8, 9, 39, 41, 45, 46, 49, 53, 59, 66, 69, 70, 74, 77, 85, 99, 100, 102, 105, 108, 115,
125, 127, 135, 136, 139, 142, 165, 168, 171 which are by the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gordon, Megan, 1979Whole-grain mornings : new breakfast recipes to span the seasons / Megan Gordon.
pages cm
1. Breakfasts 2. Cooking (Cereals) 3. Grain. I. Title.
TX733.G66 2013
641.331dc23
2013015594

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-500-6

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774-501-3
Printed in China
Design by Sarah Adelman
Food styling by Julie Hopper
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