Blueberry Lemon Bread

I'm a sucker for anything sweet, and those close to me know that I am more of a sucker for lemon. Though an open chocoholic, I would forsake chocolate for the right lemon dessert. Sometimes lots of lemon is best - as in my mom's "lemon lush." (If you're lucky I'll figure out a more nourishing way to make this and publish the recipe some day. It's a great birthday treat for people like me who could care less about cake.) Most often, though, it is subtle lemon that sends me over the top.

I've tried several lemon things lately, most notably Clotilde's lemon kefir ice cream. It was, by far, my best strong lemon experience since 2001, when I had a beautiful lemon sorbet at the Delta in Moncton. (It will be better when I chop the lemon zest more finely!) I was still in the mood for lemon, though, and we wanted something we could use for breakfast and share with someone we know whose hospital recovery means they cannot cook for themselves.

Because it's blueberry season and we live in blueberry heaven, we have several pounds of fresh blueberries waiting to become something lovely. Roya and I made blueberry muffins the other day, after which I thought, "You know, I'll bet lemon would work well with something like this." Then Natasha said, "I'm longing for a nice loaf this week." What was I to do? Natasha is eight months pregnant, Roya is completely into cooking with Dad, and I hadn't been creative enough in awhile. So, Roya and I developed this lovely recipe for blueberry lemon bread.

When trying to think up this recipe I wanted to be sure to avoid the common "lemon loaf" that is common in potlucks around here. I like it fine, but it's far too sweet for my taste. I also wanted to make it as Natasha-friendly as possible. I'm certain we succeeded. This loaf went over well with the whole family! It even complimented our coffee (Just Us! Guatemala blend) well, too! :) (The only down side is our friend who's home from the hospital turns out to be diabetic and, now, cannot indulge. So, we're looking for a home for some of our bread.)

Honestly, I think you need to check out this recipe.

Blueberry Lemon Bread
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf (would also make twelve muffins)

3/4 cup light spelt flour
3/4 cup heavy/dark spelt flour (or use 1 1/2 cup light spelt; we mix for the lightness of the light spelt and the more wholesome qualities of the dark spelt)
1 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large (organic is best; you'll see why below) lemon
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond milk (original, NOT flavored)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 1/2 cup blueberries (you could use saskatoons, raspberries, or blackberries, but I strongly encourage you to stick with blueberries, which would best complement the hint of lemon, in my opinion)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease loaf stone (or pan, if you don't have the stone).

2. In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, baking powder, and sea salt.

3. With short strokes, zest the entire lemon over the dry ingredients. (Remember to remove the sticker on the lemon, or you'll end up wishing you had!!) Stir the zest into the dry ingredients. Cut the lemon in half and juice it to produce about 1/4 cup lemon juice into a small bowl. Remove the seeds and set the lemon juice aside.

4. In a medium bowl combine the egg, almond milk, lemon juice, olive oil, and agave syrup with whisk until well blended. Add to the dry ingredients and combine until just blended.

5. Fold in the blueberries gently until just blended (attempt fairly even distribution). Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. (Optional: You can sprinkle cane juice granules lightly on top of the batter before baking if you desire a slightly sweeter loaf.)

6. Remove loaf from oven and let sit for five minutes. Carefully remove loaf from pan and cook completely on a wire rack.