Early Bird Granola is the ultimate salty-sweet combo

I take my granola very seriously. No super sugary blends, and definitely none of that flabby half-toasted stuff. I want the real thing: slow baked and crisp, with plenty of texture and a bit of sweetness. I had given up on finding the perfect mix until I happened upon Nekisia Davis’s Early Bird granola at the Brooklyn Flea. It’s far and away the best granola I have ever had – an oh-so-sophisticated blend of oats, pecans, coconut flakes, and pumpkin and sesame seeds that gets a slightly caramelized flavor from maple syrup and brown sugar. But what really makes Nekisia’s version truly amazing, is her genius use of olive oil and sea salt. The salt kicks it over the edge into dangerously addictive territory.

Nekisia still makes all the granola herself in a Brooklyn commercial kitchen, and sells it through pedigreed local shops like Brooklyn Larder and Murray’s Cheese. But with everyone from the NYT’s Melissa Clark to Martha Stewart singing its praises, her granola is in high demand. I tried to recreate the granola a couple weekends ago using her recipe but it wasn’t quite as good as the original – luckily Nekisia hooked us up with a couple bags for the road. That is, if I don’t eat them first. Check out the recipe after the jump. (more…)

Nathalie is one of those enviable people who dives head-first into new adventures without hesitation. She’s already had more amazing/weird/bizarre/incredible life experiences in her 20-odd years than most of us will have in our entire lives.