Pumpkin & Pomegranate

Two weeks ago I went to the Farmer’s market in the University District here in Seattle. I brought with me $20 cash to buy 2 apples, an onion, and some collard greens. i have been getting my CSA box and so I just needed to supplement. Well, within 5 minutes I spent half my money on  1/4 lb of wild Porcini mushrooms and a pint of white cranberries. The gourmet in my just couldn’t resist! I also bought an organic kabocha, some tiny organic sweet onions, and yes I did get my collard greens. Luckily my mother picked up some apples for me so I could make German Red Cabbage.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the white cranberries, White cranberries are the same as red cranberries, but they have been hidden from the sun by leaves and somehow are sweeter than the red. Of course sweeter also meant more expensive. I had to try once :-)

I have been drinking a lot of breakfast smoothies lately, and I am kind of sick of them. it is difficult to have something that cold first thing in the morning when you have just spend 10 mights warming yourself up with the blow dryer. So to combat the chill, and to have something tasty to munch on while i drink my coffee in the morning I decided on a loaf of bread. Completely in love with this bread too. the sweetness was perfect for me as my taste buds have changed and I only like a hint of sweetness. If you don’t have fig preserves you might want to try substituting with more apple sauce, or even another all fruit preserve. As always, I make my fig preserves by cooking down fresh figs until they reach preserve consistency. I keep it all in jars in the freezer. This would make an excellent bread for the Holidays, and would also work with muffins.

Pecan and White Cranberry Bread
Ingredients:

• 1.5 C. Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 C. Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1.5 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Pastured or Backyard Eggs
• 1 C. Fig preserves
• 1/2-3/4 C. Apple Sauce (add more if the mixture isn’t wet enough)
• 1/2 C. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 C. White Cranberries (sub red if needed)
• 1/2 C. Pecans, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a large bowl sift or whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, fig preserves, 1/2 c. apple sauce, olive oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, adding extra apple sauce if necessary. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. Mixture should be wet but not runny.
5. Fold in the cranberries and pecans.
6. Spoon into a greased loaf pan (or silicone pan) and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If making muffins check them at 30 minutes to see if they are finished.
7. Let cool on a baking rack slightly before serving.