Favorite Cornbread

This is my favorite corn bread recipe.  I prefer a coarsely ground cornmeal for the texture it gives the bread, but finely ground will also work.  It is endlessly variable, just use your imagination.

1 c stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 c plain yogurt, sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 c milk
1 T honey
2 eggs
3 t unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425°F.  While oven preheats, measure dry ingredients and stir together.  Melt butter in cast iron fry pan in the oven.  While butter melts, mix eggs, buttermilk, milk and honey in small bowl.  Pour out butter into egg mixture, being sure to coat the sides of the pan well with butter, and beat together, then stir mixture into dry ingredients.  Pour back into the hot fry pan and bake until edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and serve.

Variations

Pumpkin Corn Bread:  Add 1/2 -3/4 c mashed pumpkin or winter squash.  Reduce the amount of milk to 2 T unless pumpkin is very dry.

Corny Corn Bread:  Add 3/4 c thawed, drained, frozen corn kernels to batter with the wet ingredients.

Bacon Corn Bread:  Cook 3 slices of bacon in cast iron fry pan.  Pour off 3 T of bacon fat and reserve, coating pan well with fat.  Replace the butter with the bacon fat as above.  Crumble bacon and sprinkle the top of the batter with bacon just before putting in the oven.

Jalapeno Corn Bread:  While oven preheats, roast a jalapeno pepper in the cast iron pan.  When the chile is browned and blistered, remove and mince.  Add to wet ingredients, and follow the recipe as above.

Roasted Sweet Red Peppers

6-8 small sweet red peppers (about 2 lbs)
2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano or thyme
1 teaspoon pickling salt

Roast pepper and garlic until skins are blistered and starting to blacken. Place peppers in a paper bag until cool enough to handle then peel and seed. Slice into strips about 1 inch wide.

Combine wine, vinegars, onion, sugar, oregano in a small stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Peel then mash roasted garlic with salt and add to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Pack peppers into hot jars allowing 1/4 head space. Cover with brine and onion, allowing 1/2 inch of head space. Process 15 minutes for half-pint and pint jars. Makes about 4 half-pints.