Recipe

Cornbread in a Skillet

Accompanying article: Kefir

For an incomparably airy and delicate crumb, I use kefir as a buttermilk substitute in pancakes, waffles, biscuits and corn bread. My favorite corn meal is blue, but yellow works as well. If at all possible, use fresh, stone-ground corn meal. It has such a sweet, corny flavor that it makes adding sugar optional. Taste a pinch of the meal and add the sugar measure accordingly. Cornbread is at its crusty best when baked in a hot, cast iron skillet. If necessary, an 8x8-inch baking pan will suffice.

1 cup whole wheat or rye flour
1 cup stone-ground corn meal (blue or yellow corn)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 to 4 tablespoons organic cane sugar (optional)
2 large eggs
1 1/2cups kefir

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Place cast iron skillet in the oven while it's heating. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients and stir into the dry ingredients. Remove the skillet, grease it and pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve hot right from the pan.

Variation: To the batter, add 1/2 cup each of grated Cheddar cheese, diced roasted green chiles and roasted sunflower seeds.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood