Cool summer breakfast: Soaked raw buckwheat with fresh fruit

This is like raw granola, according to my friend L.N. She eats it with yogurt and fruit.

We tried out raw buckwheat last week when we went on a three-day vegan cleanse (more on that later, including why Owl would ever do such a thing). Thus, we omitted the yogurt. I tried it with rice milk, but it was better without.

Soaked Raw Buckwheat

Buy buckwheat groats at a natural foods store. I paid just over a dollar per pound.

1/3 cup buckwheat groats per serving
Fresh fruit
Tepid water to cover

1. 30-60 minutes before you want to eat breakfast, rinse the buckwheat in a fine strainer. Leave it in the strainer and place in a larger bowl. Cover with water.
2. Let soak for 30-60 minutes. (Just the right amount of time to fit in some exercise!)
3. Lift the strainer out of the water. The water will have turned a bit brownish and goopy. Do not be alarmed. This is supposed to happen.
4. Two options here, depending on your feeling about the matter, because I've read both are true:

• Rinse the goopy buckwheat, believing that this helps digestion.
• Don't rinse the goopy buckwheat, believing that this helps digestion.

5. Your buckwheat is softened and ready to eat.

What we thought: We would definitely eat this again. The buckwheat had a nice nutty flavor. Owl says he could have it every other week. I could eat it more often, especially in the summer. The kids wouldn't touch it, so we don't know if they would like it.

Variation: Another morning we tried the soaked buckwheat blended with dates, rice milk, and cinnamon, then topped with pumpkin seeds. It made for a more oatmeal-like consistency. I thought it was fine, but Owl had the good-willed grimace he sometimes has when something is off. It tasted more autumnal than I was feeling on a June morning, so I'll try it again then.