This is the time of year to start looking for a CSA if you’re interested; your farm may only be able to take on a certain number of customers. One way to find a farm is to enter your zip code on Local Harvest and do a search. Sometimes you can sign up for a half-share if you use less food. You may get more than produce in your weekly bundle. For example, there may be flowers, eggs, or meat. And sometimes you get something you’ve never cooked or ever seen before and it gives you a whole new food experience.
If you’re in the south, you’re lucky to have local access to citrus fruit. When I lived in San Antonio, I was introduced to Texan red grapefruit and found it completely different from the yellow Florida grapefruit that I grew up with – and never really liked. Sometimes we would drive to my grandparents’ place in Boynton Beach, FL, and my Grandpa’s friend had grapefruit trees in the yard – the grapefruit are more tart than sweet. Texan red grapefruit are super sweet.One time I tried to get on a flight out of San Antonio with a 25-pound bag of grapefruit. The gate for my flight was about to close and security said I needed to run the bag of grapefruit through separately; this was before 9/11 and I was running late for my flight. I knew if I waited for the grapefruit to go through security I’d miss my flight, so I told security they could keep the fruit and ran. Maybe they told people the fruit had to go through separately so they’d always have a free supply.
I’d prefer to not buy bananas since they do not grow locally or even in the U.S., but they’re one thing I have to let slide because everyone likes them and it rounds out a good breakfast to have the fruit. A few of ours were over-ripe, so I made this cake to use them up. Each banana makes about a half cup mashed so this is good to use up three bananas. It’s light on the sugar, so kind of bready; the cream cheese frosting helps round that out but you can skip it.
Banana Spice Cake
3/4 C softened butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C organic coconut palm sugar
3 eggs
3/4 C buttermilk
2 t vanilla
3 mashed, ripe bananas
3 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and banana and combine. Mix in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter in sprayed 9×13 baking pan and spread evenly. Bake 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
Frosting
3-4 oz softened cream cheese (a small pkg or 1/2 a lg pkg)
3 T softened butter
2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
Blend the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered (10x) sugar and vanilla and beat slowly until combined.
