Gone bananas

My son loves bananas.  Sometimes he'll eat several in a day but somehow we ended up with a banana overstock.  As the bananas continued to ripen day after day I was beginning to worry.  I prefer bananas as they're just beginning to ripen...I don't like the texture or the excessive sweetness of a totally ripe banana.  I actually prefer the Brazilian banana (aka Hawaiian apple banana) to the common Cavendish variety. 

Bananas are quite similar to tomatoes in that they are picked green, transported, and ripened with ethylene...the result is a product far inferior to that which ripens in situ.  It makes you wonder why a tropical fruit that travels half way around the world can be purchased for 39 cents per pound.  Political economy.  But, this widespread availability of what should be a rare fruit is actually leading to its demise.  Enough about banana blight. 


This afternoon the bananas were looking a bit past their prime - brown with yellow spots.  I knew I had to do something but I wasn't quite in the mood for banana walnut bread so I made a banana cake (modeled after hummingbird) with a pseudo vanilla glaze.  The moist, flavorful cake was a great way to end the day.