EFFORT: NOT MUCH
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 6 HOURS
KEEPS ON WARM: 1 HOUR
The ingredient list is designed for use in a medium (4- to 5 1/2-quart) slow cooker. See the cook's notes for ingredient lists for small (2- to 3 1/2-quart) and large (6- to 8-quart) models.
Ingredients for a 2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker:
4 cups water
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground
1/4 cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)
1/4 cup corn (or hominy) grits
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker:
8 cups water
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground
1/2 cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)
1/2 cup corn (or hominy) grits
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
TESTERS' NOTES
• For more whole-grain goodness, use whole-grain corn grits, a specialty item not always available in supermarkets but certainly offered by online suppliers. They'll give a much more intense, sweet, even earthy corn taste to the cereal.
• Fresh cranberries are not necessarily available year-round. When you see them in the supermarket around the holidays, buy a few extra bags and toss them into the freezer. There's no need to thaw the cranberries before using them in a cooking or baking recipe.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Grind walnuts in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, pulsing repeatedly until the consistency is a little coarser than sand, but with no chunks in the mix. For more flavor, first toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then cool for 30 minutes before grinding. Save any leftover nuts in a zip-sealed plastic bag in the freezer to add to cookie and bread batters, or to coatings for pan-fried or oven-fried fish or chicken.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Millet is the smallest grain available in the modern supermarket—tiny little yellow specks that can turn into a pain in the neck if you spill the bag. Unless otherwise specified, use whole millet, not finely ground millet grits. Because millet goes rancid quickly at room temperature, store it in a well-sealed bag in the freezer for up to 5 months. But always smell it first. It should smell grassy and sweet, not bitter or acrid.
