Harvest Fruit Bread

May 2028. Hannah and Denise had their first three producer clients in May—the Stilwell bean woman had agreed to a relationship immediately, which Hannah said was entirely due to my introduction and the trust I'd already built. A second family near Muskogee was growing dried corn from heritage varieties. A woman near Stilwell (a different family) was making traditional clay-pot corn pottery and had been storing traditional hominy she made for her own household use; she'd never thought of it as commercial but Denise saw the potential immediately.

I was becoming a resource for Elohi Foods in an informal capacity—not a formal role, just someone Hannah called when she needed to understand a food tradition or needed an introduction. That suited me. The work was better from a step to the side of the organizational structure rather than inside it.

The house design was finalized in May. Carol sent the final drawings with a note that said the kitchen was the best kitchen she'd ever designed, which I believed. The permit application was in process and she thought construction could begin in late spring 2029 if everything moved well.

Made a celebration dinner at the barn for the Elohi Foods first clients: bean bread from the Stilwell beans, cornbread from the Muskogee heritage corn, a simple slow-cooked venison stew, and the pawpaw custard with early fruit I'd preserved from last summer. Hannah gave a toast. Denise gave a toast. I made the food and that was my toast. Everyone understood that.

The bean bread and the cornbread were the heart of that dinner, but I needed something that could sit on the table and speak to abundance the way the whole evening did — something with fruit and warmth baked into it, something that felt like the land had given generously. This Harvest Fruit Bread was that thing: I made it alongside the cornbread, and it held the dried pawpaw and the last of the summer stone fruit I’d put up, and it tasted exactly like what the night was about. It’s the bread I reach for when the occasion deserves more than ordinary.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 60 min | Total Time: 1 hr 20 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly blended.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and uniform.
Bring it together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix or the loaf will be tough.
Fold in fruit and nuts. Add the dried cranberries, golden raisins, dried apricots, toasted nuts, and orange zest. Fold gently until evenly distributed through the batter.
Fill the pan and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is deep golden brown.
Cool before slicing. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it onto a wire rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets properly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Harvest Fruit Bread — The Loaf I Baked When the Work Finally Meant Something