Kumquats and white sage grow well in sunny, Mediterranean-climate Southern California.

There are plenty of kumquats and these mini-oranges will make me pucker if I eat just a few, so it is easier to eat them when they are cooked with other ingredients to mask their tanginess. The skin is sweet and edible, and the juice is sour. I puree the fruit, freeze it and use it to bake cookies, breads and other scrumptious desserts.

I usually burn white sage as an energy cleanser, but it is edible, too. It has a strong medicinal taste, but it adds some panache to this bread. The oats and apple cider vinegar give this bread some bounce and moistness.

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Dry ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 cups ground oats
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 coconut palm sugar
2 dry leaves of white sage, crushed

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Wet ingredients:

1 cup kumquat puree
2 Tbs butter at room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 egg
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

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Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients thoroughly, except for the white sage.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, add the other wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients—combine well. Fold in the white sage.

Pour batter into a greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes—and enjoy!

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Author: Stephanie Lee

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Author’s own.