Pesto Mixed Into Batter Enhances Corn Bread

Last summer a young friend telephoned to tell me about a new recipe developed by chance. While assembling a batch of corn bread one evening, she decided at the last minute to swirl pesto into the batter before baking. The result, she reported enthusiastically, was delicious. The bread was moist and bursting with the flavor of garlic and basil.

I decided to use the recipe for a simple Sunday night supper.

I had invited neighbors to come for a light meal with my husband and me before we all went to the movies together. The pesto corn bread, I thought, would taste good offered with a salad of shrimp, tomatoes, onions, corn and mixed greens tossed with a warm cider dressing.

The corn bread batter takes only minutes to assemble, and you can add either homemade or good-quality, store-bought pesto. The bread, which needs only about 20 minutes to bake, tastes best when sliced and served hot from the oven.

In addition to using this recipe as a bread course, you could easily turn it into an appetizer. Simply split small wedges of the corn bread, spread while warm with a layer of goat cheese and top with plum tomato slices and basil leaves.

Pesto Corn Bread

2 large eggs or equivalent of egg substitute

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup light sour cream

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

Several grindings black pepper

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 to 2 teaspoons oil

1/2 cup pesto (see note)

Place eggs, buttermilk and sour cream in mixing bowl and mix lightly. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Add cornmeal and mix just until loose batter is formed.

Heat oil in 8-inch heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, and when hot swirl oil in pan to coat bottom and sides. Discard any excess oil. Pour batter into pan and then drop spoonfuls of pesto over top. Use knife to swirl pesto into batter.

Bake corn bread at 450 degrees on center rack until firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool 3 to 5 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen. Unmold bread. Cut into wedges. Serve hot.

Yield: 6 servings.

Note: Pesto is available in specialty shops and many supermarkets. To make it, process cup pine nuts, 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, 1 large clove garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup grated imported Parmesan cheese in food processor until well pureed. This makes about 1 cup pesto.