From New Mexico, Great Granola for You to Make, Share and Store

Dear SOS: My son is attending school near Santa Fe, N.M, and we haven’t stopped raving about O. J. Sarah’s great granola. I’m hoping they will share the recipe.

--GAY

Dear Gay: O. J. Sarah was delighted you asked. It’s definitely one of the best granolas we’ve tasted. The recipe makes enough to store for several breakfast meals.

O. J. SARAH’S GRANOLA

1 1/4 cups oil

1 1/2 cups honey

4 teaspoons vanilla

10 cups oats

1 1/2 cups raw bran

3 cups sunflower seeds

2 cups shredded coconut

Combine oil, honey and vanilla and bring to boil. Combine oats, bran, sunflower seeds and coconut. Pour hot mixture over oat mixture. Spread on baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, at 350 degrees until golden brown. Makes 14 1/2 cups.

Dear SOS: For the last year I have been looking for a recipe for squaw bread like the ones served at restaurants and available in markets. I would like to bake it myself. Can you help?

--MARY

Dear Mary: A talented reader, Marilyn Martell, who is a schoolteacher and frequent county fair blue-ribbon winner, developed the best of the homemade recipes we’ve encountered.

MARILYN MARTELL’S SQUAW BREAD

2 cups water

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup raisins

5 tablespoons brown sugar,packed

2 packages dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rye flour

1/2 cup instant nonfat milk powder

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Cornmeal

Melted butter

Combine water, oil, honey, raisins and 4 tablespoons brown sugar in blender container. Blend to liquefy. Soften yeast in warm water with remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Sift together 1 cup unbleached flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup rye flour, nonfat milk powder and salt in large bowl. Add honey mixture and yeast. Beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flours to make soft dough that leaves sides of bowl.

Turn out dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl and turn to grease other side. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 4 round loaves. Place 2 loaves on each of 2 lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on racks. While still hot, brush with melted butter. Makes 4 loaves.

Dear SOS: A restaurant in Bethlehem, Pa. serves a Greek-style chicken soup with lemon juice in it. It’s good enough to make a trip to the restaurant just for the soup.

--JUDY

Dear Judy: You don’t have to travel far for this soup. Avgolemono is a Greek soup that is a classic in anyone’s book. The egg and lemon addition to the soup is standard and can be added to any canned chicken noodle or rice soup for a refreshing lift.

GREEK EGG-LEMON SOUP (Avgolemono)

6 cups strained concentrated chicken broth

1/2 cup rice

Salt

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup lemon juice

Bring chicken broth to boil. Add rice and cook until tender. Season to taste with salt. Beat together egg, egg yolks and lemon juice until frothy. Add small amount of hot soup to egg mixture, then return to remaining soup, stirring constantly. Bring to gentle boil, remove from heat and let stand several minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.