Introduction
When conceptualizing Botanica, we never doubted that we’d be open all day — we were too excited about getting creative with breakfast not to be! This lovely, gently spiced (vegan!) three-grain porridge has been a staple since day one. It’s rich with coconut milk, and marvelously textured thanks to wheatberries, black rice and quinoa. We adore it — and it’s a serious power breakfast!
The base stays the same year-round, and the topping gets a seasonal refresh from a rotating roster of California fruits. We like to garnish it with a trio of fruit preparations: something fresh, something dried, and something roasted or macerated. In spring and summer, this means strawberries (fresh, shaved thin and dehydrated, and roasted with white wine and citrus); in winter, it may be fresh apples, dried persimmons and roasted persimmon-apple compote. When we have dehydrated citrus on hand, a few shards of that always make it on top, too.
PS: Even if you don’t make the porridge, make the wine-roasted strawberries when you get the chance (and eat them on yogurt, on toast, on a spoon…). You won’t regret it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black rice, soaked overnight and cooked until just done
- 1 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight and cooked until just done
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 32 ounces coconut milk (we use an ultra-creamy Thai brand with zero additives)
- 2 star anise pods, ground in a spice grinder
- 2 vanilla beans, split, scraped, pod reserved
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Juice and zest of 2 oranges
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 pints peak-season strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 whole pieces star anise
- 2 vanilla beans, split, scraped, pod reserved
- Juice and zest of 2 oranges
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup white wine
- 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
- Pinch of salt
- Tarragon
- Fresh strawberries
- Coconut milk
- Orange zest
Instructions
To make the Porridge: Add the cooked grains to a pot with the rest of the ingredients plus 1 cup of water. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, softens, and is infused with spice and flavor, about 20 minutes. When it’s ready, the porridge should taste rich, but not too rich (if it does, add more water and continue cooking down). Season with a bit more salt if the flavors aren’t popping (and remove the vanilla bean pod before serving!).
To make the Strawberry Compote: Toss everything except (including the vanilla bean pod) into a baking dish and stir well. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes, checking occasionally to stir/add a little water if it appears dry. It’s done when the strawberries have cooked down and begun to caramelize a bit. Remove the vanilla bean and star anise pods before serving.
To Serve: Serve the porridge warm (reheat with a splash of water and a squeeze of fresh orange juice, if needed). Drizzle coconut milk over top, and pan juices from the roasted fruit compote, if there are any. Top with fruit compote, some slices of fresh fruit, a few tarragon leaves, and plenty of orange zest.
