Photo by Susan Belsinger
8 SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached white flour
- 1 cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup whole or 2 percent milk
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 1/4 cup cold-pressed vegetable or corn oil
- 2 tablespoons honey or sorghum
- About 4 tablespoons finely shredded fresh sage or 1-1/2 tablespoons crumbled dried sage
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely sliced green onions or chopped onion
- 2 or 3 serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced fine
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub a 10-inch iron skillet with oil.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, salt and chili powder in a large bowl and blend well.
- Combine milk, eggs, oil and honey in another bowl, and whisk them for 1 minute. Stir the sage, garlic, onions, chiles and corn into the liquid ingredients.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the cheese and stir until just mixed. Pour the batter into the oiled skillet and place in a preheated oven. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the corn bread cool in the skillet for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
This savory cornbread is rich and cake-like and full of flavor. Taste your sage to see how strong it is; if you use a strong-flavored one like Berggarten, you only should use about 3 tablespoons. Oregano and marjoram are also very tasty used in place of the sage. This is a great accompaniment to baked beans and coleslaw.
Susan Belsinger is a culinary herbalist who loves playing with food. She delights in kitchen alchemy — the blending of harmonious seasonal foods, herbs and spices.