I’m taking a break from my tales of Süd Tirol huts, hikes and homemade strudel to share a delicious new discovery.
Yesterday, while grocery shopping in Telluride, Colorado, I
came upon Indian Ridge Granola. According to the label, Indian Ridge is a farm
and bakery outside Norwood, Colorado, which happens to be the closest town to
our cabin-in-the-woods. I’m not sure how I missed this 100-acre “diversified
family farming operation” – we drive right through Norwood (all six square
blocks of it) on our trip from California. But, having tasted the granola on
fruit salad and yogurt this morning, I plan to stop there every chance I get.
I'm pretty tuned in to the granola marketplace. I like surprising my son and husband, who are aficionados, with new products. And I've tasted every variety at the NASFT's annual Fancy Food Show. That includes Udi’s, Café Fanny (Alice Waters’ shop), Bear Naked, Back to Nature, Bob’s Red Mill, Bakery on Main, Ambrosial, and 18 Rabbits. And I’m telling you that Indian Ridge is THE BEST.
The oats (organic) are lighter, crisper, toastier than others; the sweetness is subtle (just a sprinkle of brown sugar); the vanilla and almond essences are but a discreet whiff. The rest of the ingredient list includes almonds, organic sunflower seeds, organic cornmeal (a nice addition), coconut, honey, organic safflower oil, raisins (tiny, chewy ones) and salt. The consistency of Indian Ridge is fairly fine, no big stuck-together chunks, which makes it better as a topping and less fattening, too.
If you happen to live close to Norwood, you can pick up the granola at the farm or in one of the local grocery stores or farmers’ markets. Otherwise, you can purchase it on-line; each 14-ounce bag costs $5.35; also available in bulk, it’s $5.25 per pound. Shipping is extra.
Impeccable freshness is undoubtedly one of the reasons Indian Ridge Granola tastes so good. There’s no trucking it around, no sitting in warehouses. Don’t let it sit around your house either.
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