Call me Bananas
September 14, 2011 at 5:41 pm lucumadesigns Leave a comment
Hi fair trade friends. I’ve been traveling a lot the past few weeks so forgive my lack of posting. As you may recall, we’re on the trail of food and fair trade. Today, I want to talk bananas.
They are the most commonly bought grocery item in the United States. And, they are becoming more noticed as organic, fair trade or eco-certified.
But, rather than tell you about the little I know about the banana industry, I’m going to send you to an article on another blog. The article is written by Phyllis Robinson and she sums it up nicely, being well acquainted with the industry.
Request organic fair trade bananas at your local grocery store. And when you pick some up, you can try these recipes. 
Recipe by Jamie G. Dougherty
Almost Vegan Banana-Pecan Pancakes with Honey Syrup
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, taken from Transfair’s Get Involved Blog
Makes 14 pancakes
•1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
•Sea salt
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•Dash of Fair Trade Certified Nutmeg
•1 1/2 cups organic whole milk or almond/other non-dairy milk
•1 1/4 tablespoons white vinegar
•2 flax eggs (made with 2 TBS ground flax seed + 6 TBS warm water): equivelant to 2 eggs
•3 tablespoons earth balance butter, melted (or extra virgin coconut oil) plus a little extra for the griddle
•1 tablespoon Wholesome Sweeteners organic honey or agave nectar•1 teaspoon Fair Trade Certified vanilla extract
•2 Fair Trade organic bananas, thinly sliced
•1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Honey Syrup
•1/4 cup Wholesome Sweeteners organic honey•1/4 cup water
•Dash of Fair Trade Certified vanilla extract
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a mug or glass add the milk and stir in the vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes. It will curdle a bit. In a second bowl beat the eggs and add the butter, honey, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the sliced bananas and chopped pecans.
For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the buttered griddle or skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, without disturbing until bubbles appear over the surface after a few minutes. Flip them over and cook until browned on the second side, about 1 minute. Refrain from patting them or turning them a second time. Both actions will make the pancakes lose their lightness.
To make the syrup, combine the honey, water, and vanilla in a small sauce pan. Warm through over low-medium heat, about 5 minutes, making sure not to boil the syrup. Remove from the heat and drizzle a few tablespoons over the pancakes. Enjoy!
Source: Transfairusa.org
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4 ripe fair trade bananas
1 3/4 cups Billington’s Fair Trade Demerara Sugar
Juice of a large lemon
1/4 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries, chopped cooking apple or green gooseberries
Peel, halve lengthways, and slice the bananas.
Put the cranberries or other fruit in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of water, and cook until they are soft.
Add the lemon juice and the sugar. Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil, add the bananas and boil for 10-15 minutes until the jam sets when dropped on a cold plate. Pour into hot, clean jars, seal and label. Makes two 12oz jars. Serve on toast or scones, perfect spooned over ice cream or hidden away in a crepe.
Source : Billington’s Recipe Collection , wholesomesweeteners.com
Entry filed under: Fair Trade Helps People. Tags: .
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