Golden Apple-Dapple Oats (with a shout-out to Aussie dairy farmers)

Kick-off your day with these gently spiced oats: a bowl of nutrients and energy-to-burn.

Here’s how:

• 1/2 cup rolled and/or steel cut oats, but definitely not instant oats. We’re not making slush; we want texture, and the reverie of standing at the stove and stirring the pot.
• Finely grated fresh turmeric root, about 1 teaspoon, or lots more. No need to peel it, but do be sure to have rinsed it and given it a little scrub.
• 1/2 to 1 grated Granny Smith apple I peeled today’s apple simply because I didn’t want to photograph a brownish slurry which is how green skin + orange turmeric + oats would appear. Nutritionally, it’s better to include the peel, as there are abundant nutrients just beneath the skins of fruits and vegetables.
• Hot water. You know how much.
• Vanilla essence, if it pleases you.
• Ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon or more. Or half a cinnamon quill stirred around in there during cooking. You can rinse, dry and re-use the cinnamon quill.
• A sprinkle of sesame seeds or pepitas or toasted nuts.
• Milk.
• Yoghurt. Mine is homemade. I support Aussie indie dairies, using their delicious milk to make our yoghurt. (Take that, mega-supermarket-duopoly and your ultra-cheap milk and unsustainable business practices)
• A swirl of honey or maple syrup.
• Serves 2

With extra thanks to ‘J’, a generous client who gave me the turmeric, fresh from her garden.