I kind of hate myself for publishing another summer recipe that requires the oven. I hope you don’t hate me for it (but I understand if you do). After 26 years in Oklahoma, I associate August with oppressive, unrelenting, oven-banning, 100-plus degree heat. And sweat. I don’t know if you can see the picture of me in the sidebar right now, but I have a whole lot of hair on my head. I feel like I’m wearing a wool turban at all times, which is to say that I’m not so cute when it’s 100 degrees outside. I’m mostly just cranky.
The past two summers in Kansas City have been pleasant by comparison. This summer in particular has been gloriously mild. It’s seventy-eight degrees outside right now! I don’t hate summer up here. I actually like it. No, I love it. I love the long days, the sunshine and the infectious energy in the air. This week, I got a hankering for some cornbread and turning on the oven didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Why not?
Now, I know that Northerners and Southerners have conflicting opinions about what cornbread should taste like. The cornbread I grew up eating in Oklahoma came from a blue box, so I don’t feel qualified to join the debate. As such, I came up with my own ideal cornbread. Here it is: brown butter and honey skillet cornbread studded with summer peppers and fresh corn from the cob. It boasts crispy edges and a balanced sweet-and-savory flavor. I have a whole skillet’s worth to myself. Ha!
Feel free to play with this recipe to turn it into your ideal cornbread. The cheese in this cornbread is just an accent flavor, so if you want legitimately cheesy cornbread, double the cheese. For sweeter flavor, increase the sweetener to 2/3 cup. Next time I make this cornbread, I’ll go the extra mile and roast my corn and peppers in the oven beforehand (tossed with a little olive oil and salt) for some caramelized flavor. For basic cornbread with extraordinary texture and flavor, just skip the fresh corn and peppers. Whatever you do, don’t reduce the amount of butter. I firmly believe that cornbread, like brownies, should contain high quality ingredients, exceptional flavor and plenty of butter. Great cornbread or bust!
