Strawberry Buttermilk Banana Bread {recipe}

Is it just me or have the days been running together?

The weeks, actually.

Well, wait.

Is it just me or have entire months been running together?

I was shocked by the realization that it was already September.

Especially because I came to this realization early last week, just a few days away from October.

Especially because I'm still mentally trying to process June. I feel disoriented, trapped in a weird time warp where januaryfebruarymarchaprilmay are so far in the past that I can't remember a thing I did in the first half this year, and yet New Year's Day feels like ever-so-cliché...yesterday.

And now it is October, and even though Fall technically started in September, September was still 70% Summer, only 30% Fall, but October is fully 110% Fall, even though in some parts of LA on the first day of the first officially fully Fall month, it was 100+ degrees, hotter than 90% of the 94 Days of official Summer so if you thought daysweeksmonths were running together, it's actually entire seasons smashed together into a matter of days that is... seriously, is it just me?

It's all clipping by at pace that is leaving me in the dusty past, breathless and bewildered, wondering if what just happened meant anything at all, wondering if time's going to, you know, call me maybe?

The thing is, it still feels like the height of summer.

So let's slow down for a minute. How about for an hour? Can we put off pumpkin spice lattes for one more day? Not shop for fall fashion until it's at least at most 78°F? Hold off on ordering our naughty Halloween costumes for, well, hold off forever because come on, we're a little old for naughty costumes.

Instead, let's sit on the back patio eating the very last of summer produce like it's still the middle of summer and drinking ice cold rosé because it's 87 degrees at 4 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon.

And pretend that summer's end is still a ways off.

Watermelon!

Peaches!

Strawberries!

You have plenty of time!

Especially if you're still stuck somewhere back in June like me.

Strawberry Buttermilk Banana Bread {recipe}

inspired by the Last Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe You'll Ever Need

You really shouldn't be able to find strawberries at the market now. You shouldn't, but that doesn't mean you won't, and that doesn't mean you won't have Harry's Berries in your freezer that you froze at the peak of their awesomeness back in late June/early July, both cases — less than flavorful, out of season fresh or frozen strawberries — perfect to use in something like a Strawberry Buttermilk Banana Bread you want to bake in October.

makes 1 9×5-inch loaf

INGREDIENTS

½ cup of unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 - 1¼ cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups diced fresh or frozen strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, blend together melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, bananas, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Stir dry ingredients into buttermilk/banana mixture in 3 or 4 additions. Gently fold strawberries into batter.

Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let bread rest in pan for 10 minutes. Tip out of pan and let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing.

Wrap bread tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep on countertop for a day, in refrigerator for a few days. Slices of the bread taste great plain or toasted, and spread with cream cheese.

RESOURCES:

~ strawberries from Harry's Berries, at most of the larger farmers' markets around Los Angeles, I go Wednesday Santa Monica or Sunday Hollywood
~ eggs from Lily's Eggs, at Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers' Market
~ ground cinnamon from Penzey's Spices, Santa Monica (also mail order!)
~ all other groceries from my local Whole Foods Market or Bristol Farms

And not immediately after a public declaration that I never bake, with a Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to prove it, I post a recipe for Strawberry Bread.

Simple Strawberry Bread {recipe}

make one 9x5-inch loaf

Strawberry Bread INGREDIENTS

unsalted butter, for greasing pans
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 cups chopped strawberries (or any berries, really)
optional: 4 tablespoons strawberry jam

Strawberry Bread DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour. (Alternatively, you can spray the loaf pan with baking spray.)

Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, and eggs. Pour sugar/oil/egg mixture over flour mixture (dry ingredients) and whisk until just combined. Fold in strawberries and pour batter into prepared pan.

If using strawberry jam, spoon it over the loaf, then using a small spoon or the tip of a butter knife, swirl jam into the top part of the batter.

Bake strawberry bread in the center of preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove pan from oven and allow the bread to rest in the pan for about 15 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool on a cooling rack until completely cool to the touch (about 30 minutes).

Slice bread gently and serve. Bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, put into re-sealable plastic bag, and stored in refrigerator for a few days.

Serving suggestion: The bread tastes great toasted, with or without a little goat butter (pictured above) or whipped cream cheese.