Golden Oat Bread with Dried Nettles

I have become shamelessly addicted to the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.  I've raced through the first two books and am trying to resist picking up the third, for fear that I might continue to neglect everything else in my life.  The characters in this epic story are constantly eating mouth-watering foods.  They do audacious, unholy things, like slathering their wild meats in glazes of honey and dark beer.  They feast on fig-stuffed capons and buttery roasted parsnips.  But my mouth gets to watering the most when they describe breakfast: oat cakes or crusty brown bread, honey, soft cheeses and dried fruits.  My celtic knees go weak.

   The rustic flavors of this morning's breakfast take me far away to a calm wood, my horse grazing besides me as I nibble and daydream under an ancient grandfather oak.  I'll conveniently ignore the fact that were I in the actual story, war would be raging and the wood likely not at all calm.

Golden Oat Bread
   I first discovered this recipe many years ago in one of Susun Weed's lovely herbals, Healing Wise.  Since then I've made it many times, often experimenting with different flours and herbs.

3 cups flour (I used 2 cups oat flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup whole oats
5 t. baking powder
1 t. sea salt
2 T. dried nettles (or experiment with other herbs or dried greens)
1 egg
3 T. honey
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. milk, buttermilk or thinned yogurt

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" cake tin or 9" pie plate.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.  Beat egg in small bowl, then add rest of wet ingredients.  Pour wet into dry and stir just until blended. 
3.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until center is dry and top is golden brown.

The resulting bread is very moist and a bit crumbly, but it holds together well enough to be slathered with sweet butter.  I like it for breakfast with a big bowl of berries and creamy plain yogurt.