Strawberry Macadamia Nut Bread

• 1 pound fresh strawberries
• 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 4 local eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Slice strawberries and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in macadamia nuts & vanilla bean seeds. Divide batter into pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out and cool completely.