And now for something completely different. For the past few weeks, we’ve been focusing on seasonal goodness with recipes that celebrate the veggies from our gardens and nearby farms. And if you'd like more of those kinds of recipes, we’ve got eight years worth of recipes in our archives, which you can find here. But sometimes, you’ve just got to have a snack. One that’s crunchy and sweet and made entirely to your tastes. Dawn Masiero of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield and Great Barrington has offered this one, created by Cathie Kavanaugh of Guido's Kitchen, which uses Bola Granola (a Berkshire product) and Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Ginger Sheep’s Milk Yogurt (a Columbia County treasure) as a dipping sauce. It's so easy: mix, bake, cool…and in no time at all you can be happily crunching away. --Lisa GreenGuido's Granola Bars With Ginger Yogurt Dipping SauceMakes 16 bars 16 oz. bag Bola Granola (chop the whole almonds if they are too big for your liking) 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus extra for pan 1/3 c. honey 1/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 c. chopped pitted dates* 1/2 c. Guido’s tart dried cherries* Dipping sauce: Old Chatham Ginger Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 9 x 9 inch glass baking dish and line with parchment paper. Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Pour Bola Granola into a mixing bowl and add the dates and cherries (or dried fruit of your choice). Toss with the warm butter mixture. Stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Place pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool. Let rest at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve with the yogurt as dipping sauce. *You can use any combination of dried fruits, such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, blueberries, etc.
