My Perfected Banana Bread

Banana bread conjures up childhood memories of one of my favorite after-school snacks. I liked it best cold, with a glass of milk. I learned later that many banana breads are unnecessarily rich. To give my mom some credit, her recipe was not as sugar and butter laden as most (she usually avoided having too many sweets around the house). My mom’s bread contained Bisquick and was very moist and dense. I developed a preference for this type of banana bread over the light and fluffy kind.

Banana bread has become a staple baked good in many households, and a great way to use up those uneaten overripe bananas. It is a type of quick bread, and may have been first created in the early 1900’s, when American housewives discovered pearlash (a form of potash that produces carbon dioxide in dough) as a chemical leavening agent.

By this time, the banana was a beloved fruit of many households thanks to the United Fruit Company, that dominated Latin American agriculture and supplied Americans with imported bananas. The company deeply influenced the economic and political development of the “banana republics.” The multinational corporation was accused of exploitation, pollution and meddling in the internal politics of many Latin countries. In 1970, the company merged to become United Brands Company, and was later transformed into the present-day Chiquita Brands International. I must add that in the 1990s, Chiquita set out to take responsibility for its company's past actions and reportedly strives to reverse its negative impact on worker conditions and the environment. (Personally, I still look for other sources of bananas. There are so many great varieties that most of us have never tried!)

At any rate, the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930s, lead to the publication of Pillsbury’s 1933 Balanced Recipes cookbooks, where the first banana bread recipe was published. Banana bread really reached its peak in the 1960s, when a home-baking revival took place. At this time, cooks began to experiment with variations that contained nuts, dried fruit, coconut and chocolate chips. What is your favorite combination?

I know that everyone’s banana bread preferences may be different, but I am please to say that after much trial-and-error, I have come up with what I call an excellent banana bread recipe. Not-to-sweet but sweet enough, with a moist center and a crispy crust. The buttermilk gives the banana bread some richness without the need for much fat (just a few tablespoons!).

Lesley’s Banana Bread

2 cups cups white whole-wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking power, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixture beat together sugar and eggs for 2 minutes. Stir in bananas, buttermilk, canola oil, melted butter and vanilla.
4. Combine banana mixture with dry ingredients and stir just enough to combine. Gently fold in nuts and coconut.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour (or up to 1 1/2 hours), until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Southern Summer Succotash

For those of us who grew up watching the Looney Tunes, we remember hearing Sylvester utter the words “Sufferin’ succotash!” after every failed attempt to capture Tweety. But what exactly is succotash?

Succotash is essentially a sauté of corn with other seasonal vegetables and has become a symbol of the bounty of summer crops, especially in areas of the South. High summer temperatures mean that it’s prime time for many delicious vegetables such as sweet corn, summer squash, peppers, fresh shell beans and tomatoes. Succotash has adopted regional forms depending on the crops in quantity in a particular area. Such a dish became very popular during the Great Depression due to its simplicity and versatility.

Succotash traces back to the Native Americans, who taught colonists how to prepare a dish consisting of corn, shell beans and other vegetables, which combined to form a complete protein source for sustenance. The use of lima beans, tomatoes, sweet peppers and pieces of cured meat became popular additions in the 1800s. Here is an authentic recipe from the Ladies’ Aid Society of the First Presbyterian Church in Ohio. The recipe was published in 1894 and is titled “New England Succotash.”

Take two quarts shelled Lima beans (green), one dozen ears of corn (cut off cob), and one pound pickled pork. Cover pork with water, and parboil it; add beans, cook until they burst; then add corn, two tablespoonfuls sugar, butter the size of a walnut, and pepper to taste. After corn is added, watch carefully to keep from scorching.

I think that one of the best ways to showcase fresh summer vegetables, at the height of their season, is to saute them all together into a succotash. Given the dish’s popularity in the South, I wanted to honor tradition and attempt to make a true succotash dish, accented with bacon and topped lightly with butter, just enough to make the vegetable dish a satisfying, complete meal. I also provide my recipe for buttermilk biscuits because after all, all comfort-style meals should be accompanied with warm, home-baked flaky biscuits.

Summer Succotash

Serves 4.

Really, any summer vegetable or fresh shell bean would work in this versatile dish. I used baby pattypan squash and small gypsy peppers, which are delicious and make for a pretty presentation. Fresh basil leaves are a nice accompaniment, but feel free to experiment with other summer herbs.

2 thick slices of good-quality bacon

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ pound summer squash, diced or sliced into rounds

2 cups fresh or frozen fava beans, lima beans or edamame (if fresh, blanch until just tender, 5 minutes)

½ cup diced red or yellow peppers

3 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off

½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then finely chop. Drain off all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat from the skillet.

2.Return the skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add summer squash, beans and peppers; cook, stirring gently, until the vegetables are just tender. Add corn and cherry tomatoes; cook 2-3 minutes longer.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the butter and basil. Top with reserved bacon. Serve immediately with warm buttermilk biscuits.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 4 biscuits.

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture looks like coarse meal.

3. Make a well in the center and gradually pour in buttermilk, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined.

4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Lightly knead, then pat into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds (or another shape) and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Gather any dough scraps and cut more rounds.

5. Bake the biscuits for 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown.

A Recipe to Change Your Mind About Scones

If you think that you don’t like scones, chances are you haven’t had a good one. Once you bite through a scone that is done right, you will realize all that it should be: deliciously tender, flaky and slightly sweet. Unfortunately, many of the scones available to us are dry and dense, often dressed up with glazes, chocolate and excess sugar.

Scones are thought to be of Scottish origin, where they were originally made with oats and cooked on griddles over an open fire. Today’s scones are a type of quick-bread, similar to a biscuit, made with flour, baking powder, butter, milk (including cream or buttermilk), and sugar. They are shaped into individual wedges or rounds and baked until golden brown with a white and soft interior.

The trick to making scones, or any kind of flaky dough (like a pastry crust) for that matter, is to work cold butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. It is also very important not to overmix once the liquid ingredients are added, which would result in a dense, doughy scone. The dough is then lightly kneaded, just enough to develop a structure with alternating layers of dough and fat. If these steps are done correctly, a delicious biscuit with a distinct flakiness will result.

In England, plain scones are traditionally eaten split open with preserves, clotted cream or lemon curd. American scones tend to have the sweetness baked into them (and eaten like a muffin), flavored with different fruit, nut and spice combinations.

My favorite scones are those made with fresh fruit. There is a well-known bakery in San Francisco called Arizmendi that makes the most delicious baked goods. They feature a scone-of-the-day with an assortment of fruit combinations. I also really enjoy their cornmeal-cherry and oat varieties. I didn’t think that I could ever make a scone anywhere near as flaky and delicious as those that come from the Arizmendi ovens. I have to say though (and Justin agrees), that one of my first attempts was quite successful. Given that strawberries can be found all over the Bay Area markets, I decided to go with a fresh strawberry scone made with buttermilk. The flavor was reminiscent of a strawberry shortcake. They were especially delicious right out of the oven with a glass of milk.

Fresh Strawberry Scones

Lowfat buttermilk lends a rich, buttery flavor and tender texture to the scones without excess fat. These moist scones are delicious with strawberries, but I bet any type of fresh, diced fruit would do.

Makes 8 large or 12 small scones.

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons natural cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
1½ cups diced fresh strawberries
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.
3. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Gradually add the buttermilk to the dough, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Gently fold in the strawberries. Do not overmix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a 2-inch thick disk. Cut each disk into 4-6 even wedges. Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Before baking, brush each scone with egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.