Autumn has arrived where I live, and I couldn’t love it more. The trees are ablaze with color, from bright yellow to deep crimson, and early mornings bring a crisp stillness that I savor. Dew chills the grass, a soft mist drifts over the nearby park, and the world feels quiet and fresh. My favorite part of those mornings is walking our beagle Raja through the park — she sniffs, wags her tail and nibbles at blades of grass with such enthusiasm. These short walks clear my head for the day, but they also build my appetite for returning home to a steaming mug of tea and a comforting bowl of oat porridge topped with berries.
Although I’ll always be a fan of hot summer nights and cold drinks in the garden, autumn offers a different kind of delight. Weekends spent walking through forests and parks reveal more than scenic views — they’re ideal for foraging. Even if you’ve never tried it, foraging is worth exploring: late summer and autumn produce a bounty of wild food, from mushrooms to nuts and berries. If you don’t have fruit trees or shrubs in your garden, a nearby forest or park can still provide plenty. On my first berry-picking trip in the local woods, I discovered the tiniest, sweetest blackberries I’ve ever tasted. They’re small and take time to collect, but every minute spent picking them felt worthwhile.
Last weekend we filled two baskets without overpicking — leaving plenty for wildlife — and came home with more berries than we expected. I froze a portion, made jelly and cordial from some, and ate the rest straight from the bowl. Wild-picked berries have an intensity and freshness you rarely find in store-bought fruit. If you can’t forage yourself, frozen berries or market-bought berries work well, but if you live near a park or forest, I encourage you to check it out. For this oat porridge recipe I used wild blackberries, but any berry you prefer will work beautifully.
Oat Porridge with Berries & Pistachios
The Greedy Vegan
1
3
4
Ingredients
- 300 ml almond milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ vanilla bean
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 50 g instant oats
- 50 g fresh blackberries or frozen
- 3 tablespoon rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon pistachios crushed
Instructions
-
Place the almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla and cardamom into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and leave the pot on the warm plate.
-
Stir the instant oats into the hot milk, then let them sit for about 3 minutes to soften.
-
Just before serving, add the rolled oats and berries. Stir briefly so the berries warm through and the rolled oats soak up the remaining liquid for a pleasant texture.
-
Top with crushed pistachios and drizzle a little extra maple syrup if desired. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Let us know how it was!
