Brooklyn Commune

Vanderbilt Playground in Windsor Terrace is one of my favorite places in Prospect Park to take Nico and Leo to play. It was renovated last year and has lots of different structures that appeal to big and little kids. Occasionally, we stop at the pizza place across the street for slices, and for a while, I thought it was the only food option nearby. Then I read about Brooklyn Commune, a new cafe on Greenwood Ave. We tried it out last week and just a few blocks from the playground and right next to the Fort Hamilton subway stop, it's a wonderful, and much needed addition to the neighborhood.

Opened by a couple with culinary backgrounds, the cafe uses CSA-sourced produce and sells a small selection of local products. We went for an early breakfast on one of those days when it was sweltering by 9am and cooled off with some grapefruit juice mixed with mint before sharing a bowl of homemade granola, an egg sandwich with mushrooms and spinach on multigrain, and a blueberry yogurt muffin with an incredibly light crumb.

We picked up a jar of rhubarb rose petal preserves and have been enjoying it all week on buttered toast and I'm hoping to go back again for lunch to try one of their salads. They also sell prepared foods that would be perfect on nights when it's too hot to cook, and since Brooklyn Commune is BYO, it was nice to discover The Juice Box, a cool wine shop one door down.

Brooklyn Commune
601 Greenwood Ave
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
718-686-1044

Making up for lost time

For most of my life, I've given oatmeal the cold shoulder. Called it names like gummy, mushy, and even gross. I tried some once or twice as a kid, back when I thought Fruit Rollups were the best food on the planet and couldn't stand it. I preferred oatmeal cookies, preferably with chocolate chips, or golden brown granola, with crunchy, toasted oats.

But about a month ago, I decided to give oatmeal another chance. I needed new things to feed Nico since he was requesting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches around the clock. My friend Whitney suggested oatmeal, telling me how much she and her son Liam love it. Nico, my name-changing child, often insists we call him Liam. When he does, he refers to me as Whitney, Leo becomes Liam's baby sister June, and Daniel is Justin, Liam's dad. So, when I served a bowl of warm oatmeal dotted with dates and apples one morning and went on and on about how it was Liam's breakfast of choice, Nico dug right in and dramatically praised each bite. When I tried some, I finally saw what all the fuss is about.

I referred to this recipe from the kitchn. I liked the idea of sizzling some apples and letting them release their juices. Now I seem to have some every day and think it's a good breakfast, lunch, or snack, especially when you've sworn off sweets for 40 days and need something to fill the void. Thick rolled oats probably caused my sudden change of heart and using milk in place of water. I like mine a little soupy and since I can't add sugar to anything for a few more weeks, I've been playing around with all sorts of mix-ins (prunes! blueberries! pears! bananas!). They act as natural sweeteners, but I know I'll be ready to break out the maple syrup and brown sugar soon.