Olive Oil Granola

This is my all-time favorite granola - it's super crunchy, and the flavor of the olive oil and the salt make it just a little sweet-savory. You can adapt this in lots of ways: use whatever nuts and dried fruit you like, or leave out the dried fruit. Unsweetened coconut flakes (the large kind) are delicious, too; my husband is coconut-averse though, so we usually leave that out. This recipe doubles easily for a larger batch.

1 3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups cashews (or other kind of nut)
2/3 cups pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit; optional)

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and salt. Add the maple syrup and olive oil, and stir. Spread on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, then give it a good stir. Do this twice more (so the granola bakes for a total of 45 minutes), or until it's golden brown and toasted. Let cool, and then stir in dried fruit, if using.

Makes 3 1/2 cups