the berries are back.

Summertime means fresh fruit and vegetables.  Summertime means enjoying those delicious bits of the season for the few weeks or months they are meant to be enjoying and preserving the harvest for the rest of the year.

This year, I bought 12 quarts of strawberries from my local farmer's market.  Some were frozen (both whole and sliced, after I learned my lesson last year!), many were eaten, there was jam, some were used in the ice cream and some were baked.  Last summer I worked out a strawberry banana bread recipe, but by the time I was getting around to posting it, it was well past strawberry season (and my mom always taught me that strawberry bread is really only good if you use local, in-season strawberries).  So I'm going to share it now, just in time.  

When I first attempted vegan strawberry bread, I tried to adapt my mom's recipe and let me tell you, it was a complete fail.  Really.  It sank.  It was way too moist.  The flavor was good, but there was no such thing as a slice, there was really more of a pile of crumbs.  Then it occurred to me that strawberries and bananas are an excellent combination.  Everyone loves them together in a smoothie, right?  Throw in a bit of orange flavoring and you're golden.  So I dug out my tried and true banana bread recipe and adapted slightly.  Perfecto.  Seriously, this stuff is good.  I'm pretty sure that some of those sliced strawberries in the freezer are going to make their way into a loaf of this yuminess in the midst of the deep dark winter... 

A few other tidbits to share this week
:: My dear friend Shanna is out west caring for her grandfather.  While she's there, she's asked some friends to share some memories of their grandparents over on her blog.  I was honored to share one about my grandmother, which will be posted sometime later this week.  I've enjoyed reading the memories that have been posted so far, go check them out!


:: The lovely ladies of habit (one of my favorite online reads) have extended an open invitation for the month of July, I posted my first entry today, but check out the group pool, it's wonderful!


:: I know I'm a little behind on summer here, but I promise, a new banner and manifesto are coming this week! (along with, gasp, a finished knitting project!)

Strawberry Banana Bread 

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup nondairy margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl ground flax seed + 6 Tbl water
2 overripe mashed bananas
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 tsp orange extract 
handful chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x5" loaf pan.  In a large mixing bowl, cream margarine and brown sugar.  Stir in flax+water mixture, bananas, and strawberries.  Slowly add in flours and baking soda.  Mix until just combined.  Stir in orange extract and walnuts.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Enjoy!