stone barns / November 3, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

a day at stone barns - pocantico-hills, ny | dolly and oatmeal

i'm always beyond excited when my brother comes home for a visit - it's like i'm 8 years old all over again and he's coming back from summer sleepaway camp and i have all to do to not squeeze him to death and litter his cheeks with big smooches. he's been more than a brother to me, i consider him one of my greatest friends - when others don't get it, he surely does; and when he tells me something (good or bad) there's no BS, just totally straight up. but after a few years of him living there, that new norm became life, and i made it through my dreaded brother-withdrawals with the help of facetime (thanks, apple!), some frequent visits to see him, and the benefits of maturing into an adult! and so after almost 10 years of him living on the other side of the country what i thought would be a terrible thing turned out to be survivable, and may i say really good.

each time he comes back for a visit we find ourselves at stone barns for a walk. i like to think of it as a reset of sorts. a place that changes with the seasons, but offers up the good juju whenever you set foot on its grounds and breath in its fresh air. but autumn here gets me every year. those leaves! the crisp cool air! the scent of cozy hot apple cider wafting through the air! we were lucky enough to see the last of the tomatoes being plucked, and the remaining asian pears still secured to their branches before the first freeze hit, and a group of farmers herding the turkeys from their grazing field into where they settle for the evening. big hopes that you're enjoying these cozy november days as well! xo

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears (gf + df) / October 28, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears | dolly and oatmeal

so i'm back from a quick trip to oakland, ca to visit the california olive ranch! it was a day and a half worth of meals, events, talking to some amazing chefs and people, and visiting the ranch and mill where my favorite olive oil is made! i feel like i need another whole other post to recap what an awesome experience it was to learn about the olive oil process from so many passionate and dedicated workers. it's such a beautiful thing to not only see, but feel the love and pride that people take in their job and for those they work beside each day. plus, i got to hang with this lovely lady the entire trip, and to meet the beautiful people behind some of my favorite blogs: michelle, nik, phi, phyllis, and todd!

while i'm sure we all love cooking with olive oil - using it dressings, and for drizzling - i love using it in all sorts of desserts - cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins. i'm a sucker for anything cake-y but what i'm sometimes put off by is that hit-you-over-the-head sweetness that some can have. but when i bake with olive oil it offers just the perfect amount of earthiness while also providing the fat content which gives baked goods that moist and delicious texture we know and love. the ranchers at the olive oil ranch explained to us that because olives are a fruit, their oil is essentially fruit juice, and because there is no chemical processing, nor any high temperatures involved in the oil developing process, it retains much of its natural nutrients even when in oil form. after seeing the how california olive ranch's oil was made that notion of olive juice still stands out as one of the most interesting things i learned those couple of days.

hope you all are having wonderful weeks! xo

*this post was sponsored by california olive ranch, all opinions are totally my own.

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk bread w/ pears (gf + df)

this is a dense, but not overly rich quick bread. i often have a slice as a treat after breakfast, or an afternoon snack. it could also be great as a dessert with maybe some coconut cream, or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

| makes 1 loaf |

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup california olive ranch extra virgin olive oil (for baking i like using their everyday oil)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 large pasture raised eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pear, diced small
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, extra for topping
handful of chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper letting sides of paper hang over like wings; set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until the mixture appears sandy, then add the eggs and whisk until combined. whisk in the applesauce and the vanilla until combined. using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 applications until mixture is smooth. fold in the diced pears and chocolate chunks.
evenly pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with extra chocolate and the chopped walnuts.
bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove bread and place on a rack to cool for roughly 30 minutes. then use the parchment wings to lift the bread from the pan; let it cool completely before slicing.

enjoy!

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creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt / October 19, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt | dolly and oatmeal

sheesh, these past couple of weeks have been a bit mad, but in all the great ways! my eyes have been falling out of head editing the first pass of my cookbook (!!!) as my heart has been racing with excitement for it. i also styled my first ever photoshoot for sweetegreen's winter menu last week which was a whirlwind of emotions - excited, thrilled, and nervous to death basically sums up how i was feeling! in anticipation of the busy week i went ahead and made a big pot of soup to heat up quickly for dinner and serve beside a pan of socca, or whatever else was in the fridge. and i'm not sure about you, but preparing soup from scratch has become one of my favorite things to do when the weather gets cooler. my method for making them tasty is somewhat basic; adding different spices here and there, maybe toasting and grinding them, or roasting and caramelizing the star vegetable to add a deeper flavor. but i love that soup is so adaptable, that changing the flavor or consistency can be so dependent on what you're in the mood for.

so often the autumnal season gets poignantly marked with homemade soups, usually with some variation of sweet creamy winter squash. but my favorite soup growing up (as a super picky eater) was a really basic cream of broccoli soup, which probably had a larger ratio of cream to soup and was most likely void of any sort of nutrition at all. so i wanted step up my favorite creamy broccoli soup of years past, and put an upgraded, and more nourishing spin on it by using broccoli rabe and cutting out the dairy. because i still wanted that creamy quality to shine, i blended in a dairy-free cultured coconut yogurt to the mix, along with some leftover waxy potatoes from the summer. for some aromatic quality i toasted a few coriander seeds during the saute process to add a slight citrusy and nutty flavor - something i love when it comes to anything having to do with broccoli. crispy quinoa is another favorite of mine, i typically add it to salads for crunch, but topping the soup with it gives it all a fun texture, while also making it a heartier dish - perfect for a cozy lunch or to accompany a larger meal :)

big ups to soup season! xo

*and big thanks to andy boy broccoli rabe for sponsoring this post! all opinions are totally my own :)

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt (v + gf)

| makes 4 servings |

crispy quinoa

1 cup cooked quinoa
3-4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt

soup

1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, woody ends trimmed (roughly 3 cups)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts sliced thin
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch chunks
3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or filtered water)
1/2 cup unsweetened cultured non-dairy yogurt, plus more for serving

method

to crisp the quinoa, heat 3 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. once the skillet is hot, add the quinoa and a couple pinches of salt; stir and cook until crisp (if using white quinoa it will appear more golden in color). you will hear the quinoa pop and see it brown a bit when it's ready, about 8-10 minutes. (if you notice the quinoa sticking or burning in places, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.) remove from heat and place in a clean bowl; set aside.
preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. in a bowl, toss together the broccoli rabe, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper until broccoli rabe is evenly coated. turn broccoli rabe out onto the prepared pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. set aside.
while the broccoli rabe is roasting, saute the leeks. heat a large soup pot over medium heat, when pot is hot add the coconut oil and leeks; stir and cook until soft and translucent in color, about 4-5 minutes. add the garlic and coriander seeds, and stir for 30-40 seconds, until fragrant. add the potatoes, broth (or water), and salt and pepper to taste; bring soup to a boil, cover, and turn heat down to a simmer. cook soup until potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a sharp knife, about 15-20 minutes.
add roasted broccoli rabe - reserve a few small pieces for serving - and yogurt; stir and simmer for another 2 minutes, turn heat off and let the soup cool for 10 minutes before pureeing.
in batches, puree soup in a food processor or blender on high. taste and adjust salt if needed. return soup to the pot and bring to a boil. serve the soup and top with crispy quinoa, a dollop of yogurt, and pieces of roasted broccoli rabe.

enjoy!