World's best banana bread

No, I'm not growing bananas. We just seem to have so many! I'm not a banana fan and Jamie will only eat them in a small window of ripeness, so when we buy bananas, and we do - as much as I try to be a locavore, the local apples only last so long - we normally end up with a few brown ones. I think I've tried at least 20 banana bread recipes and this is the one I've settled on as the best. It's based on a recipe in The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet, with just a couple of my own tweaks.

Marbled Banana Bread

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup mashed banana from 2 or 3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs at room temp
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan then line with parchment.

Combine the mashed banana, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, about a tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl from time to time.

Sift together the cake flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in the salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated, scrape down the bowl, then mix in half of the banana mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and banana mixtures, ending with flour.

Transfer half of the batter into the bowl with the cocoa paste, stirring until well blended.

Spoon the batter into the loaf pan, alternating between scoops of the plain and chocolate batters, then use a spoon to gently turn the batter, marbleizing it.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until firm and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely on a rack.

* like the tape clipart I used? find it here!

Garden Volunteers

Weed or free plant, the difference really is all about your point of view. I'll admit that there are species almost universally regarded as weeds and unwelcome in the garden. Dandelions. Morning glory. Thistles. And I remember many from my childhood that I loved but my parents saw as weeds. My dad was particularly annoyed by the veronica that colonized the lawn, while I thought they were fairy flowers. Mum hated the freckles violet that I'd picked up at a potluck plant table. I loved them and their invasiveness.


In my new garden I'm eagerly watching all my little garden volunteers as they sprout. Some must have been planted years ago by previous owners. Some tumbled over or crept under the fence from next door. And some I'm sure just appeared, like the veronicas, because the garden needed them. All along the front foundation, and even tucked under the bay window, of the house we have a mass of grape hyacinths. They'll need to be moved later this spring to make way for some new shrubs, but they're so cheery they make me smile every time I see them.


Along one fence I've just noticed violets blooming amongst clumps of emerging bulbs... maybe crocus? I think I'll be moving these little fellows, too. Just a bit farther along so they are between the house and the fence where I'd love to mass violets, lily of the valley and sweet woodruff. Having some volunteers that can just be shifted down is perfect - and cheap! And violets spread so quickly and happily that if I nurture these little guys - a bit of water in our desert summers - they should form a fragrant carpet in no time.


So far I've also spotted iris, tulips (please, don't be yellow or red!), and what I think may be daylilies and a very scraggly, stunted peony. And if all this seems too plant and not enough weed, don't worry, I have those, too. Dandelions, couch grass, yarrow, and enough lilac suckers to prop up all the peas I could ever hope to grow. The crowded, stringy yucca are gone but there's still plenty of backbreaking work in my future! I can't wait to see what else volunteers in our garden and am so happy I'm not the most conscientious weeder. I'm not knowledgeable to identify plants as tiny sprouts and would hate to have lost my violets or peony to over ambitious weeding!

For anyone else inundated with dandelions, don't stress too much, they're quite tasty! Add the young leaves to salads, saute them with plenty of garlic, substitute them for basil in pesto. Or make this tasty twist on the Israeli hot sauce zhoug. Just make sure your dandelions haven't been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides or by neighbourhood dogs and cats!


Zhoug
1 cup young dandelion leaves, washed
1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper, stemmed, seeds removed (or keep the seeds and membranes if you like it hot!) OR 1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed.

Zhoug is amazing drizzled over felafel, anything vegetables, or to perk up eggs. It's also great with tacos, which is how I'll be serving it tonight!