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Health & Fitness

Cooking Outside the Box with Kumquats

A post about cooking outside the box and trying something new and a yummy recipe for kumquat breakfast bread.

This week's forecast is for rain, and I love to bake when it's rainy out! Maybe it's a comfort thing...maybe I just like to eat....probably just both. 

I have been receiving a weekly produce box from http://greenheartsfamilyfarm.com/ for about a month now and I've got to say that I am just LOVING the produce I'm receiving (please note they are not paying me to say this). I was using a different company but decided to change when the produce I was receiving wasn't all that wonderful, and seriously, how many leeks can a person cook? This time I decided to try a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) because of the wonderful items my good friend was getting where she lives in Los Gatos. It's not the same company, but at least it's a CSA. I don't get to choose what I get, but I did get a say in what we don't eat. I'm probably one of the very few Italians that does NOT like eggplant...go figure. Anyways, I have been doing this because I really want to give my family organic produce and I don't want to have to use what I buy within a couple of days because of fear it will go bad. This is what has been happening to me when I buy my produce at the large grocery store chains. Normally, I am pretty frugal, and so spending the extra money on organic produce that lasts me over a week is by far better on my wallet than having to throw food out because it spoils quickly. The other reason I like getting this box is that it forces me to eat more of a variety of foods. I love to try new foods and figure out how to cook them.

The last two weeks I have received kumquats. Anyone know what to do with kumquats? I had no idea....insert bad joke here.....I don't know squat about kumquats. I set out to find out how to eat them on the internet. I found a few sites that were quite forthcoming, and I am so grateful. I did not want to throw these out because I didn't know how to eat them, and boy are they sour on their own! So based on the ingredients I have in my pantry I made the following recipe:

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Kumquat Breakfast Bread: http://www.kumquatgrowers.com/recipe040.html

INGREDIENTS:

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Makes one loaf.

1 cup kumquat puree
3/4 cup honey
2 Tbs canola oil
2 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats, regular or quick
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 Tbs baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup craisins

DIRECTIONS:

Put dry ingredients into bowl of mixer, add wet ones. 
Mix on low until just mixed, add nuts and craisins.  
Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  

SUBMITTED BY:   Chrystal Wilkerson,  Rincon New Mexico 

I am sooooo pleasantly surprised! Soooo yummy! I did substitute walnuts for the pecans, because that's what I had on hand and I also used coconut oil instead of canola oil because that's just how I roll. Also, I did make two thin loaves instead of just one because I thought it was too much batter for my loaf pan. Worked out well because of the bread being a little on the dense side.  My  house smells so yummy from this baking and honestly, it tastes just as yummy as it smells.  I love when a new recipe and new food work out. My daughter is currently wolfing down a piece and I'm on my way to join her.

I hope this article helps you think and cook outside your box! If anyone has other things they make with kumquats, I would love to hear about it!  

Have a great weekend and stay dry!

Buon Appetito!

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