This will be my final blog for Impact Washington. While I will continue to work remotely, I will be back in Vermont as a full-time student finishing my degree. These past three months have been exceptionally enjoyable in both entering the business world and also the Pacific Northwest (this past week of smoke and intense heat not withstanding).

During my time here, I have advanced from a novice Salesforce user to an advanced administrator and budding developer. Furthermore, I have been provided with a great deal of data to chew on and in doing so provided (what I hope is) meaningful and usable information for Impact Washington.

While I won’t technically be separated from the organization, I will miss my desk and office neighbors. The chats over local raccoons and other such oddities will be much missed. With them in mind, the experiences I’ve gathered with regards to non-profits, ERP, and business will be taken forward. That is thanks to Impact Washington and the outstanding individuals who make it happen.

But these sappy sentiments are not why this blog is a hit. It’s because of the recipes. This week we’ve got the Banana Coconut Peak, an appetizer/dessert!

The Snack: Banana Coconut Peak

Serves: 2 (can be scaled linearly)

Ingredients:

• 1 Large banana (~5+ ounces, size may vary).
• ¾ Tablespoon coconut oil.
• 2 Teaspoons dried coconut shavings.
• A pastry bread. You’re looking for something crumbly, generally buttery and/or sweet. Such as: Portuguese sweet bread, croissant, sweet rolls, or brioche. Do not attempt with a standard white/wheat/multigrain/sourdough/baguette/ciabatta, it will go very poorly.
• Optional: 1 Teaspoon honey or caramel per serving for dessert-y finish
• Optional Garnish: 1 Sprig of fresh mint per serving.

Preparation:

• Slice the bananas into ~½ cm width pieces.
• Warm honey/caramel until moderately viscous (if hardened).
• Heat coconut oil over medium heat in medium/large fry pan.
• Apply banana slices to pan evenly (application does not need to be perfect as they will be flipped).
• If not fresh, warm bread while bananas cook. Warning: this dish is not served hot, rather, just above lukewarm.
• Once banana slices are sizzling and slightly translucent around the edges, flip. Cook until lightly browned, flip again if necessary.

Serving:

There are two variations of how to serve this dish. They are entirely dependent on the bread at hand. If your bread is more rounded on the top (croissant, rolls), cut them in half like tiny subs. If flat, cut into single serving portions. The subs are to be filled, flat servings topped. The serving instructions will follow the topping method.

• Apply the banana slices to the top of the bread. Be generous as they tend to slide off during consumption.
• Liberally sprinkle coconut flakes over the top of the bananas. You may wish to layer the topping by applying light banana à coconut flakes à banana à coconut flakes.
• Optional garnish: drop a couple fresh mint leaves over top of coconut and lean remaining sprig on the side.
• Optional topping: Lightly drizzle honey/caramel/maple syrup atop the tower. Note: This dish is already rather sweet, do not go overboard.

Summary:                                                                                                                              Note that this recipe serves two people, and can also be enjoyed as a dessert. No sugar needs be added as caramelized bananas are practically candy as it stands. With that said, finishing the dish with a drizzle of honey or caramel is a lovely addition (potentially a Grade A Amber or Golden maple syrup if available, untested). Consider this especially if your bread is of the dry variety.

As a dessert, this is an aromatic and savory piece. Note that the dish can easily stray into ‘too heavy’ territory if the toppings and/or bread are portioned too generously. Consume 30min – 1 hour after main course for most satisfying results.

As an appetizer, this dish is best served prior to light Mediterranean or North American meals. This will not do well preceding seafood, though is exceptional when paired with nearly any poultry.

Damon Devani is a student from Champlain College in Vermont, working with Impact Washington for the summer of 2017 as our Data Analytics Intern.  Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and film. He’s looking forward to exploring the area and getting to know the business over the next month.

The post My Summer At Impact Washington – Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow appeared first on Impact Washington.