Strawberry Granola

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

In a large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, flax, salt, cinnamon and almonds. Stir to combine. To prepare the strawberry puree, add strawberries (with tops removed) to a food processor and blend until pureed. Set aside. Melt butter and add vanilla and the contents of the vanilla bean to it.

Add honey to the oat mixture, combine with a spoon. Stir in strawberry puree and butter plus the vanilla mixture, tossing until everything is coated. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 5–7 minutes. You want granola to be slightly golden when you remove it from the oven. Let it sit and cool for one hour–at this time, it should become crunchy. Fold in dried strawberries. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.