14 FEAST AND FIELD • FALL 2021
Why oats are no longer (only) old-fashioned
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BY CELI N E ROBERTS PHOTO BY CH RISTI N E ARM BRUSTER
f you’re like many Americans, the word “oats’’ immediately conjures up thoughts of golden fields, steaming bowls of oatmeal and maybe even a favorite, white-haired, blue hat-wearing Quaker of old-fashioned Quaker Oats fame. Although these are classic images of Americana, oat products are experiencing a resurgence and culinary moment that benefit the consumer with a wide array of promising products that provide variety, nutrition and flavor. According to a 2019 IMARC report, the global market for oats reached 23.5 million tons in 2018 and is projected to reach a value of $7.4 billion by 2026. Try picturing that in bowls of oatmeal. Grains and oats have always been a significant part of the American diet, but with the rise of brands like Oatly and companies like Chobani launching a line of oat products, oats are gaining popularity at an almost meteoric rate.
Why the sudden surge?
For one, oats are a versatile crop. This seed makes an excellent breakfast food, provides a dairy milk alternative, creates gluten-free flour and adds texture to a variety of baked goods. Today, we see recipes using both the whole grain and its flour as nutritious replacements. With the rising
OAT GROATS ARE STEAMED AND FLATTENED TO BECOME OLD-FASHIONED OR ROLLED OATS.
awareness of food allergies, particularly gluten and lactose intolerance and sensitivities, oats have provided a flavorful alternative to wheat flour and dairy.
Milking it
Oat milk is lauded by dairy-free coffee drinkers as the creamiest and least flavor-disruptive alternative milk. Once only available at third wave coffee shops, Starbucks added Oatly’s oat milk to its menus nationwide in March 2021. The demand became so high that the company is now reporting shortages. A push for sustainability has also helped the oat gain popularity. Unlike almonds, which require about a gallon of water to grow a single nut, oats require about six times less water to grow. Of the alternatives for flours and milks, oats generally use the least amount of water to produce the greatest amount of yield, making them a darling for environmentalists.
Delicious and nutritious
Ultimately, food is, above all, about flavor, and the humble oat doesn’t fall short on that either. The buttery, nutty and warm notes of oats translate well into baked goods, breads and your morning bowl of oatmeal. Oats may be in vogue, but they are still plain, old-fashioned nutritious. Packed magnewith fiber, phosphorus, thiamine, magne sium and zinc, the cereal grain is both fiberand protein-dense.
The anatomy of an oat
Oats come from a type of grass that grows up to five feet tall, but only the kernel, the seed of the oat grass, is used for culinary purposes. The kernel holds the vast majority of the plant’s nutrients and is made up of four parts: the hull, bran, endosperm and germ. The hull is the hard, inedible husk that protects the kernel. During processing, the hull must be cracked and removed. This leaves what’s known as the oat groat, the most complete form of edible oat. The groat is what is used to make steel-cut, rolled and crushed oats.
OATMEAL COOKIES RECI PE BY AN DREW STUM P PHOTO COURTESY OF MADELEI N E BAKERY & BISTRO
THIS RECIPE calls for patent flour, which discerning bakers like to use for its high quality and consistency. • nonstick cooking spray • 318 g old-fashioned oats, preferably toasted • 221 g white baking flour (patent flour) or bread flour • 150 g oat flour • 75 g steel-cut oats • 14 g baking soda
• 11 g salt • 2.6 g ground cinnamon • 454 g unsalted butter, softened • 285 g brown sugar • 195 g granulated sugar • 98 g eggs • 27 g vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together old-fashioned oats, flours, steel-cut oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add eggs and vanilla
• 234 g coarsely chopped dried apricots • 208 g white chocolate chips (or roughly chopped chocolate bar) • 156 g coarsely chopped pistachios
in 3 additions, scraping bowl between each addition. Add half of oat mixture and beat until blended; scrape bowl. Add remaining oat mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in apricots, chocolate and pistachios. Drop dough by ¼ cupfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on pans 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Yields: about 35 cookies.
CHUNKY, CRUNCHY GRANOLA RECIPE BY ROSANNE TOROIAN • PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW
MAKE A BIG BATCH of this customizable granola recipe to keep on hand for family, friends or guests — it keeps for a month! • 4 Tbsp salted or unsalted butter • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar • ½ cup smooth peanut butter • ⅓ cup honey • ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • ½ tsp salt • 1 container (18 oz or about 5¾ cups) oldfashioned oats (do not use quick oats)
Preheat oven to 300°F. In large microwave-safe bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on high 50 to 60 seconds or until melted. With whisk, stir in remaining ingredients except for oats and add-ins until well combined. Add oats and stir with spatula until well-coated with peanut-butter mixture. Line large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Spread and gently press oat mixture evenly
• 5 cups desired add-ins, such as toasted and sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts or sesame seeds, dark or golden raisins, dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries, diced dates, dried figs or apricots, toasted sweetened flaked coconut, or chocolate chips
in pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until granola becomes deep brown in color, rotating pan once halfway through baking, but do not stir granola while it bakes. Cool granola completely in its pan on cooling rack. Break granola into desired-sized pieces. Stir in desired add-ins. Store granola in opaque, airtight container in cool, dark place up to 1 month. Yields: about 16 cups or 3¾ lbs.
Fun for the Whole Family!
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