Berry Pancakes

I have finally perfected my pancake batter...melt in your mouth perfection, to be specific. A few things are essential for perfect pancakes:

1. DO NOT OVER MIX THE BATTER (this is the absolute most important thing).
2. Acid makes tender pancakes.
3. Full fat, grass fed dairy is your pancake's best friend.

I personally do not believe that you can have perfect pancakes unless you do all three of these things. Let's take them one at a time. First let's talk about mixing the batter, once you have added the wet to the dry you want to mix it just to incorporate and then STOP! If you have sifted or whisked your dry ingredients well you won't have to worry about the lumps or pockets of dry in the wet, it will work itself out and you won't notice when you are eating insanely delicious, tender pancakes...I promise! When you mix and mix to get a smooth and uniform batter you overwork the gluten in the flour and it makes chewy and tough pancakes. I like to mix mine about 5 times and then let it sit (have a cup of coffee).  Second we will talk about acids, these include things like, sour cream, buttermilk or citrus juice. The acid makes for fluffy and tender pancakes because it works with your leavening agent (usually baking powder) and creates air pockets. After you let your batter sit you will notice that it has "risen" and the batter will be light and airy when you return, this tells you that you are on your way to pancake bliss! Third, and my most favorite rule: full fat, grass fed dairy is friend not foe! Not all fat and not all dairy are created equal, grass fed dairy (milk and butter) make the most wonderful and delicious pancakes you will ever eat. There are so many health benefits and taste benefits to using grass fed dairy, click here to read more: http://www.eatwild.com/articles/superhealthy.html. The very last thing is the mix in, I used local berries that we picked. I used blueberries, black raspberries and red raspberries, this resulted in sweet, tangy and slightly floral notes to every single bite, I am going to say it again, perfection!

This recipe makes 8 medium size pancakes.

Ingredients

1 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour

1/4 Cup wheat germ

1 Tbsp organic cinnamon 

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Heaping Tbsp baking powder

2 Tbsp fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar

1/4 Cup pasture raised sour cream

1 Farm raised egg

1 1/2 Cups pasture raised whole milk

3 Tbsp pasture raised butter, melted.

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Mixed organic berries, frozen or fresh work, about 2 Tbsp per pancake.

1/2 tsp additional, pasture raised butter for each pancake, for frying.

Local organic maple syrup, optional. 

Directions

Heat a cast iron or other skillet over medium low heat. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F and place a baking sheet on the middle rack to keep pancakes warm while you cook. 

In a large bowl whisk or sift the flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and sugar. 

In another bowl mix the sour cream, egg, milk, butter and vanilla extract. Add the wet to the dry and mix only to incorporate, do not over mix!

Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes.

Add butter to the heated pan and then (I use a soup ladle) ladle your batter into the pan, spread out slightly with the back of your ladle to make the cake round and even. Sprinkle in Tbsp of berries on the pancake and cook till the edges are dry and it has little bubbles all over the uncooked side, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove the cooked cake to the preheated oven and repeat for the remaining batter. 

Serve with additional butter and maple syrup. Other toppings that are delicious include: homemade preserves, apple butter, local honey, or fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream. 

Honey-Maple Banana Cornbread

It is local corn season in upstate NY (beginning of August) and I am in heaven! Corn is one of those vegetables that you buy when its in season and eat to excess, I like to call it nature's candy. When its sweet its just about the most delicious vegetable you can put in your mouth. I use it in both sweet and savory dishes. You can add it, right from the cob, to this sweet cornbread because its so tender and completely perfect, as is. The cornbread is further sweetened with dark, rich maple syrup, fragrant, floral honey and lots of overripe bananas. These ingredients all permeate the cornbread with a depth of flavor as well as adding moisture, so important with this type of bread. The cornmeal is so dense and dry, I find that regular, granulated sugar just doesn't cut in here. The honey, banana and maple syrup also add a myriad of nutrients so they create a super healthy bread as well. Pockets of crunchy sweet corn, that are surrounded by moist and dense cornmeal; slather with honey butter or blackberry jam and you are going to be in summery cornbread heaven!!

This recipe makes a 10 inch cornbread which serves 6-8.


Ingredients


1/2 Cup cornmeal

1/2 Cup wheat germ

1 Cup organic, unbleached all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp Sea salt

2 overripe fair trade bananas, medium size, mashed.

1/4 Cup local honey, mine was buckwheat.

1/4 Cup local maple syrup

2 Farm raised eggs, slightly beaten and room temp.

1 Cup pasture raised whole milk

2 Tbsp pasture raised butter, melted.

1 tsp Real vanilla extract

4 Ears organic or local sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob.*

2 Additional Tbsp pasture raised butter, for the pan.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the additional 2 Tbsp of butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet and place this in the oven to melt and get hot while you are preparing the batter. You can use a square or round baking dish if you don't have a cast iron skillet.

In a large bowl whisk to combine the cornmeal, wheat germ, flour, baking powder and sea salt.

In a medium size bowl combine the bananas, honey, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Mix the wet into the dry and stir just to combine. Add in the corn kernels and stir just a few times to distribute.

Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the stove and swirl the butter around to coat the pan evenly. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until its golden brown and springs back to your touch. I like to take mine out just before its completely cooked as my "moisture insurance policy." Overcooked cornbread is not delicious.

To remove the cornbread, slide a butter knife around all sides of the pan. Place a serving platter over top of the pan and carefully invert onto the serving platter.

To serve, slice the cornbread like a pizza, I do it in 8 slices. Slather with your favorite butter, honey butter or jam and enjoy. I personally think that corn and blackberry jam is the most delectable combination and they happen to be in season at the exact same time!

*I like to use a bundt pan to cut the corn off the cob, I place the cob in the center hole of the bundt pan and the inner ring catches the corn and it won't fly all over your kitchen, I am not a baker so my bundt pan appreciates that I still use it even if its not for baking.

Wild Raspberry Banana Bread

My parents live on a huge piece of land in the Adirondacks of New York, and there is a veritable feast right in the woods surrounding their house, all for free! Each year I learn more and more about the wild edibles in this area and find myself foraging for them and then finding ways to incorporate these free goodies into my cooking. My most favorite thing to forage is wild berries, they are incredibly healthy and so full of flavor. There is nothing more satisfying than spending an afternoon listening to the birds sing, completely alone and filling a bucket with ripe, plump berries. My daughter sometimes comes along, and stays on the edge of the patch just stuffing her face with whatever she can reach. Right now the red raspberries are in season and there are literally thousands of them, just steps from my parent's front door. I filled an entire beach bucket with them along with a few wild blueberries. The berries go bad rather quickly so I wanted to use them right away; I had some very brown bananas sitting on my counter so naturally banana & wild raspberry bread was on my mind! I filled my bread with whole grains, natural brown cane sugar and heart healthy coconut oil. The result was sweet, moist and incredibly decadent. The raspberries are slightly tart and have a very floral quality that perfumes the bread with their flavor. The bananas, on the other hand, keep the bread moist and are intensely sweet, the two go so well together.

This recipe makes one loaf of bread.

Ingredients

1 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
1/4 Cup organic whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup wheat germ
1 1/4 Cup fair trade, organic brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp organic cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
2 Farm raised eggs, room temp.
1 Tbsp organic, pure vanilla extract
1/3 Cup vanilla almond milk, mine was sweetened. Regular whole milk can be used.
3 Very ripe, fair trade bananas, mashed.
1/2 Cup organic coconut oil, melted and cooled. Canola or other heart healthy oil can be used.
1 Cup wild raspberries, organic farm raised raspberries can be used.
1/2 Cup pecans, chopped.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a loaf pan or baking dish by buttering and flouring, or lining it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk out all the lumps and to combine.

In a medium bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, almond milk, bananas and coconut oil. Stir the wet into the dry and mix only till combined, do not over mix. Fold in the nuts and raspberries very gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. The bread is done when it bounces back to your light touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Let rest and cool before cutting, about 10 minutes.

Serve with butter, honey or a homemade raspberry jam! Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Hash

I am a huge fan of hash for breakfast, its a great way to get lots of veggies onto your plate, smothered in egg yolk! I like to throw in greens, onions and some sort of sturdy vegetable like a potato or squash. This recipe has lots of summer vegetables in it because we are hitting the season of bumper crops; summer squashes and zucchinis. There is never enough ways to use them up! I have also been buying huge, gorgeous heirlooms that I like to throw in at the very last second, just to warm them through. This gives you a nice contrast of sweet squash and tangy tomato that goes so well with the creamy yolk, mmmm!! Golden egg squash is a newer hybrid squash that is sweeter and creamier than summer squash. The skin is thin and completely edible and the seeds are soft, I just love it. Just chop it up and throw it into all your favorite squash recipes. I also like adding a meat component to my hashes, it allows you to get lots of great, fatty flavor without actually using a lot of fat. I just chop up 2 pieces of bacon that coat all the vegetables nicely and give you occasional bits of meaty goodness. You can also use rotisserie chicken, crumbled sausage or I have even thrown in leftover salmon, flaked in at the last minute with the tomato.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

2 Pieces pasture raised pork bacon, chopped.
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Cups rainbow chard, leaves and stems chopped and separated.
1 Small golden egg squash, you need 2 cups chopped. Zucchini or a young summer squash can be used.
1 Small organic spring onion, peeled and chopped.
3 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
Spring fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
Sprig fresh, organic oregano, leaves only, chopped.
3 Tbsp fresh, organic chives, chopped.
1 fresh, organic bay leaf
1 Medium, organic heirloom tomato, chopped.
4 Farm raised eggs
1 Cup pasture raised sharp cheese, I used a goat milk gouda, shredded.

Directions

In a large saute pan, I use a cast iron, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the bacon till it is crispy. Add in the vegetables and herbs, except the tomatoes and the rainbow chard leaves (the stems can go in with the rest of the veggies to cook first). Cook till the veggies are soft, about 7 minutes, if your pan starts to get dry add in some extra bacon fat or olive oil. Add in the chard leaves and cook for another minute to wilt them. Turn off the heat and add in the tomatoes just to heat them through, stir gently so that you don't break them up.

In a small nonstick pan cook the eggs till they are the way you like them, I like mine over easy.

To serve: place a bed of hash in the bottom of a lipped plate, we call them blates (cross between a bowl and a plate). Top with the farm fresh egg and a generous helping of sharp cheese! Break the yolk and let it coat all your veggies and enjoy!!

White Chocolate Cherry Oat Muffins with Lavender Butter

These muffins are divine! They are full of sweet ripe cherries, smooth creamy white chocolate, nutty wheat germ and nutrient dense oats. They are slightly chewy, incredibly moist and full of flavor. I was inspired by the deep dark cherries that I have been buying at the farmers market this week. They are so incredibly sweet and go perfectly with the deep vanilla flavored white chocolate. I recently got a cherry pitter, greatest invention ever, and I have been buying cherries like its my job. This recipe calls for 2 cups which is almost 2 pints. I like that almost every bite has a piece of cherry in it. The best muffin I have ever made or eaten!

Recently a very good friend of mine gave me some fresh lavender out of his herb garden. Its very floral and lends itself well to desserts, just like vanilla. I decided, instead of putting it in the muffins, I would make a very luxurious lavender butter with it, to spread and melt over the piping hot muffins. The combination is absolutely delicious. It perfumes your mouth very delicately and gives each bite a unique herbal flavor. This butter would also be wonderful on french toast or even on something savory like a fatty filet of salmon.

Makes 12 large muffins.
Adapted from Food Gal, Brown sugar-oat cherry muffins.

Ingredients

Muffins

3 Cups organic old fashion oats, not the instant kind.
1/2 Cup wheat germ
1 Cup pasture raised sour cream, I use Cabot.
1 (6oz) Container plain Greek yogurt, I use Chobani.
1 Cup pasture raised whole milk
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) pasture raised butter, melted and cooled.
2 Farm raised eggs
2/3 Cup fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar
2/3 Cup fair trade, organic brown sugar
2 Cups organic sweet cherries, chopped.
1 1/4 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Sea salt
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips

Butter

4 Tbsp pasture raised salted butter, room temp.
1/2 tsp fresh lavender flower, chopped.
5 fresh lavender leaves, chopped.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a large muffin pan with paper cups or grease with butter and flour.

In a large bowl combine the oats, wheat germ, sour cream, Greek yogurt, milk and butter. Mix well. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and add to the oats and mix well. Add in the sugars and vanilla, mix well. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry to the wet and mix just to combine, do not over mix. Fold in the cherries and the white chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into the lined muffin tin, they will be heaping and it will seem over full but I assure you they should be this way for the quintessential muffin top. Place on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until they are a deep, golden brown and spring back to your touch. Remove to a cooling rack.

In a small bowl combine all butter ingredients and mix well. Cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes, I like to keep mine at room temp for buttering the muffins so that it stays soft. Slather on a hot muffin and enjoy! Perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Cheesy Chorizo & Herb Cornbread

I recently purchased a 10 inch cast iron skillet with the express purpose of making a real southern cornbread. I love the sweet and savory aspect of cornbread and I especially love the ones that are cooked in a cast iron skillet, the old fashion, southern way. The reason that cornbread is so awesome in a cast iron pan is because its baked in the leftover bacon fat/drippings that are left in the pan. It crisps up the bottom and sides of the bread while flavoring it all the way through. You end up with a salty, crispy outside and a moist and sweet inside that is just amazing. I love to add all kinds of unique flavorings to the cornbread like sharp cheddar cheese, spicy chorizo sausage and lots of fresh summery herbs. My herb garden is huge this year so this bread boasts the flavors of thyme, rosemary, oregano and chives! It also makes for a very beautiful bread to boot; studded with flecks of green and red. I like my cornbread a bit more savory and  then I top it with beautiful homemade jams or a local honey, its so incredible. Fry up an egg on the side and you have one amazing, talk about it all day, kind of breakfast!

This makes a 10 inch cornbread loaf, I get 8-10 slices out of it.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp bacon drippings, pasture raised butter can be substituted.
1 1/2 Cup organic, yellow cornmeal
1/2 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 Cup fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar
1/4 Cup local honey
2 farm raised, local eggs, room temperature.
1 1/4 Cups pasture raised, whole milk
1 link pasture raised chorizo sausage, casing removed, crumbled.
1/2 Cup pasture raised cheddar cheese, I used Cabot.
1 Tbsp fresh organic rosemary, leaves only, chopped finely.
1 Tbsp fresh organic thyme, leaves only, chopped finely.
2 Tbsp fresh organic chives, chopped finely.
1 Tbsp fresh organic oregano, chopped finely.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place bacon grease or butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven.

Cook the chorizo in a saute pan till browned. Remove to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Add in the cheese, chorizo and herbs. Mix well.

In a small bowl whisk the milk, honey and eggs till combined well. Mix the wet into the dry and mix only to combine. Do not over mix!

Pour the batter into your hot pan and bake for 20 minutes or until it is browned and pulls away from the sides of the pan. It will bounce back to your touch when done. Remove to cool. When cooled slightly, invert onto a serving platter.

To serve, I cut slices like you do a pizza or cake. I like to serve with pasture raised butter and a homemade or locally made jam. My favorite is the Jam Stand peach/siracha jam! Its sweet and spicy just like the cornbread.

Mexican Breakfast Bowls with Duck Eggs

We love to eat vegetables for breakfast and a great way to do this is by poaching the eggs in a tomato sauce that includes lots of fresh sauteed vegetables. There is an Italian version called "eggs in purgatory" and we love it, and eat it all the time. This version is full of Mexican inspired flavors and the sauce is smoky and spicy. The eggs are poached in a rich, chipotle tomato salsa that is full of peppers, onions and garlic. Poaching or cooking the eggs this way allows you to cook them with little or no fat making the dish super healthy. The eggs are poached just till the whites set, leaving the yolk still runny. This creamy and fatty yolk mixes with the spicy tomato sauce to create breakfast nirvana! The spiciness of the sauce is tempered with cool sour cream and creamy avocado.

I used gorgeous local, farm raised duck eggs from Cedarwyck Farm in Selkirk, NY. They raise heritage breeds of ducks and chickens that produce multicolored eggs that are so incredible. The shells are lightly colored pastel pinks and blues that look like perfectly dyed Easter eggs. The duck eggs  have big, creamy, intensely flavored yolks that just melt into whatever you serve them with. If you have never tried duck eggs I very highly suggest you give them a gander.

This recipe makes 2 breakfast bowls.

Ingredients

2 Farm raised, duck eggs, you can substitute chicken eggs.
1 Jar chipotle salsa, I used Frontera, its a Rick Bayless company any salsa works.
1/2 Organic green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.
1/2 Organic white onion, chopped.
2 Cloves organic garlic, chopped.
1 tsp pasture raised bacon fat, butter can be substituted.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
2 Tbsp homemade chicken stock, organic, low sodium canned stock can be substituted.
1/2 Cup pasture raised cheddar cheese, grated, I used Cabot.
1/2 Avocado, sliced.
2 Tbsp pasture raised sour cream, I used Cabot.
1 Tbsp fresh, organic chives, whole, I snip over the top with scissors at the end.

Directions

Heat a saute pan over medium heat, melt the bacon fat. Add in the onions, peppers and garlic. Salt and pepper and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are translucent and soft. Add in the salsa and chicken stock, stir to combine. Make two holes in the sauce and carefully crack the eggs into the holes. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes, or until the whites are set. Turn off the heat.

With a slotted spoon, scoop out each egg and carefully place in a serving dish. Spoon the sauce all around the egg and top with the cheese, sour cream and avocado. Top with additional salsa, optional. Snip the chives over top and serve with warmed tortillas or toast.

Buen Provecho!

Banana, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oat Cookies

These cookies are a perfect "on the go" breakfast or snack. They are loaded with things that are good for you like; oats, dark chocolate, bananas, whole wheat flour and antioxidant rich spices. They will keep you full and fueled all morning long or in between meals. I made them for a picky toddler and they were an instant hit for the whole house. They are super fluffy in texture like a muffin but they are also chewy like a cookie. They are a cookie I feel good about eating and giving to my family! I always have bananas and inevitably overripe bananas at some point, so I am always looking for great, interesting ways to use them; other than just freezing for smoothies. Got some overripe bananas sitting on your counter? Try these!

Let's talk about dark chocolate for a minute! I always buy dark chocolate, and I always buy fair trade, from trusted sellers and producers. This means that the people and companies in the countries where they harvest cacao get paid fairly, and treated fairly by the companies and artisans who are importing it. Other things you should be buying fair trade are: coffee, sugar products, bananas and chocolate products. Here is a link for more information on buying fair trade and why its important to me: http://www.fairtradeusa.org/. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and is actually very good for you, I eat it daily! Make sure to buy 60% cacao or more to get the maximum benefits.

The recipe makes 15 to 20 good size cookies.
Adapted from Taste of Home, Banana Oatmeal Cookies; http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/banana-oatmeal-cookies.

Ingredients

1 Cup organic, unbleached, all purpose flour, I used a local one.
1/2 Cup organic, whole wheat flour, I used a local one.
3/4 Cup fair trade, organic, dark brown sugar
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Fresh nutmeg, grated on a microplane.
1 tsp Fresh ginger, grated.
1 Stick pasture raised butter, room temperature.
1/3 Cup organic, creamy, peanut butter, mine did not have sugar added.
1 farm raised egg
3 Overripe, fair trade bananas, mashed.
1 3/4 Cups organic, quick cooking oats
1/2 Cup fair trade, dark chocolate, chopped roughly into chunks, I used Callebaut.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix first 8 ingredients to combine.

Mix in the butter and peanut butter and mix till it resembles wet sand.

Mix in the egg and banana and stir to combine well.

Fold in the oats and chocolate and mix to combine.

Scoop onto a cookie sheet, trying to make equal scoops, I like to use an ice cream scoop, it makes getting equal scoops very easy. They don't spread while cooking so you can put them close together.

Bake for 13 to 15 mins or until they are golden brown, and crispy on the edges.

Remove and cool on a wire rack, enjoy!

A cookie you can feel good about! Let me know what you think, stop back and leave some love!

Strawberries in Vanilla Milk

Summer strawberries are here; the first of the season! They are my absolute favorite thing about summer, so deeply sweet and lightly floral. My favorite way to eat them is simply, soaking in some sweetened vanilla milk which mirrors the natural floral nature of the strawberries so beautifully. It is simple, elegant and so utterly delicious. On a hot summer night its wonderful to sit on your porch, feel the warm breeze and drink down the slightly pink, sweet milk that is left after you eat the tender, tangy berries. That is a perfect evening for me!

I always buy strawberries organic or locally grown with a no spray guarantee from the farmer. They are like sponges and they soak up any pesticides that are used on them. It is very important to know where your berries are coming from and how they are grown, they are part of the dirty dozen. I like to soak mine in a bowl of vinegar water for a few minutes as soon as I get them home. This removes dirt and bacteria from the berries and prolongs their freshness. Strawberries are so delicate and grow mold very quickly, this method of washing helps to prolong this from happening. I also like to spread them out on a cookie sheet or plate, that is covered in a towel. This allows the berries to breath and also keeps them fresher, longer. They don't last long in our house so I rarely have a mold issue, but I realize it does happen so I thought I would share some of my berry keeping tips with you.

This recipe serves 2 but is very easy to double or triple.

Ingredients

2 Cups organic strawberries, sliced
2/3 Cup organic, grass-fed whole milk, you can also use cream if you are so inclined.
2 tsp raw cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together the milk, sugar and vanilla paste. Whisk to combine completely and dissolve the sugar.

Place strawberries, 1 cup each, in two serving dishes. Pour the vanilla milk over the strawberries, 1/3 cup into each bowl. Sprinkle with more sugar if desired and serve.

Enjoy!

Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don't they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.
                                     ― Ray Bradbury

Ginger Pancakes with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

These pancakes are divine!! Healthy; loaded with wheat germ and fresh ginger they are the perfect vessel for the strawberry-rhubarb compote that I slathered over top! My husband woke up to the smell of strawberry, rhubarb and sorghum syrup bubbling away on the stove; it smelled better than pie baking. The pancakes were slightly spicy because of the fresh ginger and they had a nutty and pleasing texture due to the addition of wheat germ in the batter. The strawberry-rhubarb compote was sweet, tangy and full of floral vanilla and warm cinnamon, probably my most favorite pancake topping to date!

I was shopping at my local co-op and ran across an unfamiliar product, sorghum syrup. I had never heard of nor tasted this syrup before and of course it went right into my cart. I got home and started tasting and reading up on this little bottle of liquid gold. It tastes like a cross between really deep, intense caramel and floral, smoky molasses, I am absolutely in love with this stuff. It is very popular in the south and is used in all kinds of baking and breakfast recipes. Sorghum syrup and hot biscuits is a very popular breakfast in some southern states, and it might just become a favorite in our Yankee household as well! I went to a farm dinner last year and we sat in front of a sorghum field and I was under the impression it was planted to enrich the soil and put back nutrients. I had no idea that it had other, more delicious uses. The company that makes this product is local to me, right outside of NYC in the Catskill mountains, Blenheim Hill Farm. The farm provides products for Smorgas Chef, a restaurant which has 3 locations in NYC. They also ship things to be sold in health food stores and co-ops in NY. The farm is gorgeous and their mission is to provide diners with fresh, local foods as well as being a model for small-scale farming. I just love everything they are doing, I hope you check them out...its pretty outstanding.

I used the sorghum syrup to sweeten the strawberry-rhubarb compote in addition to raw cane sugar because I wanted that caramel/molasses depth of flavor. It was a match made in heaven, the tangy sour fruits go so well with the deep smoky flavor of the sorghum syrup, next time I might not use sugar at all and go all in with just the syrup! I added in some floral vanilla seeds and spicy, warm cinnamon and ended up eating it by the spoonful it was so good. Warm, chunky and an incredible depth of flavor.

This recipe makes 6 medium size pancakes. The compote will serve more.

Ingredients

For Pancakes

3/4 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
1/4 Cup Wheat germ, I use Hodgson Mills.
2 Tbsp raw cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Cup organic, grass-fed, whole milk
2 Tbsp organic, grass-fed butter, melted, I used Cowbella
1 pasture raised, farm egg, I used Feather Ridge Farm
2 Tbsp fresh ginger finely minced or grated
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Pasture raised butter for cooking, 1 tsp each.

For Compote

4 to 5 Stalks of organic rhubarb, enough for a cup, chopped
1 Cup organic strawberries, chopped
1/2 organic apple, peel on, diced (this does not add flavor it is only for pectin to thicken sauce)
1/3 Cup fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar
2 Tbsp sorghum syrup, molasses or maple syrup can be substituted but I highly recommend finding this product.
1 Vanilla bean
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and place a baking sheet on the middle rack. This is to keep the pancakes warm while you are cooking them all.

In a saucepan over high heat place all compote ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer till the apples are soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and take the vanilla bean out. Cut in half with a pairing knife and scrape the seeds. Mix the seeds into the sauce. Set the sauce aside, it will thicken upon standing.

In a large bowl combine all pancake ingredients. Mix only to combine, DO NOT OVER MIX. Heat a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over low heat. Melt 1 tsp of butter and ladle in batter, spreading out slightly. Flip with the edges are dry and there are tiny bubbles over the surface of the batter, about 7 minutes. The second side will cook more quickly, remove from the pan and into the preheated oven. Repeat with remaining batter.

To serve, place pancakes on a serving platter, top with butter, compote and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Banana, Dark Chocolate Chip, Honey Corncakes

These pancakes are probably the best that I have ever made! They had a great grainy texture from the addition of cornmeal, a sweet floral flavor from the bananas and local buckwheat honey and a great slightly bitter and decadent chocolaty bite from Callebaut dark chocolate chips, they were divine! My two year old daughter ate an entire cake to herself, she never eats like that...the true test of a recipe:  if the toddler wolfs it down you know its good! I love to add interesting grains or flours to my pancakes, that way you get a variety of nutrients and health benefits, rather than just using all purpose flour. The cornmeal is coarse and creates a cake that has a little "tooth" to it which I really liked, almost like eating a pancake that is filled with tiny crunchy nuts. I had some cream of wheat pancakes at a late night diner one time and these reminded me of those, I really loved them. I topped these corncakes very simply with Earth Balance and locally made maple syrup, they were so sweet from the honey and banana you need very little syrup, perfection!

I always make a very large batch or double batch of pancakes on the days that I make them. I like to make them from scratch and it takes time, so why not make a bunch all at once and then easily heat them up later on. My secret for having leftover pancakes that heat up and taste just like they came off the griddle is simple: freeze them in individual servings, pop them frozen right into your toaster or toaster oven and toast till they are warmed through, you might have to push them down twice. They will come out crispy on the outside and still soft and cakey on the inside, and you don't need extra butter so it saves on the calories too! You can do this with pancakes right out of the fridge too, they just won't need as long to toast. They are also portable; top them with jam, apple butter or a little honey, roll them up wrap some parchment paper around the bottom for drips and be on your way with a healthy breakfast on the go you can feel good about! Its cooking that kids can easily do for themselves, just teach them how to operate the toaster.

This recipe makes 6 to 8 medium size cakes, make a double batch and freeze them for later in the week when you don't have time to make a hot breakfast, but want one.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Unbleached, organic, all purpose flour, I use a locally milled one, of NY wheat.
1/2 Cup organic cornmeal, I use a local one.
3 Tbsp Buckwheat honey, its very dark in color and has a molasses-esque flavor, I use Rulison.
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Sea salt
1 Cup buttermilk, you can put a Tbsp of vinegar in your milk and let sit for 5 mins if you don't have buttermilk.
1 Very ripe, fair trade banana, mashed.
1 Farm raised egg
2 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted, you can substitute butter or canola oil.
6 to 8 Tbsp fair trade, dark chocolate chips, a Tbsp for each corncake, I use Callebaut.
6 to 8 tsp of Earth balance or butter, to cook each cake.
Earth balance or butter & maple syrup for topping the corncakes when they are done.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and place a baking sheet in the oven to warm.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt, whisk to break up any lumps.

In a medium bowl mix honey, buttermilk, egg, banana and Earth balance. Mix to combine and add wet to dry and stir just to incorporate, do not over mix!

Heat up a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add in a tsp of Earth balance or butter, allow to melt and then ladle (about 1/3 of a cup) of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with the dark chocolate chips evenly over the cake. Cook till the edges are dry and there are tiny bubbles on the surface. Flip and cook for a few minutes on the opposite side. Remove from the pan and into the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat for the remaining batter.

To serve; top the warm cakes with Earth balance and maple syrup, and enjoy the best pancakes ever!

Pancakes are always a special occasion at my house, make your family feel special by whipping some up for them! Come back and let me know what you think!

White Bean, Grilled Asparagus & Fried Egg Stacks with Bacon Crumbles

This was one of the best dinners I have ever made! The creamy egg yolk broke over the grilled, tender, but still crunchy, spring asparagus and gigantic, tangy white beans, made for a plate full of perfection. Every once in a while I got a burst of salty bacon which actually made me say out loud...oh yes! Seriously, one of the best and easiest dinners you will ever eat! I also snipped some fresh chives over top that I grow right in my windowsill for an occasional sharp onion bite. You could easily eat this meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I could eat it for all three, ha ha!

This dish was inspired by a meal we had on our honeymoon in NYC. Almond is a Mediterranean, farm-to-table restaurant that has a cute patio and wonderful food. We have been there a couple of times; when we bought my estate wedding ring and again on our honeymoon. Both times the food was fresh and the service was wonderful. On our honeymoon, we ordered an asparagus appetizer that was topped with a poached egg and drizzled with hollandaise sauce. It was creamy, crunchy and oh so perfect! All the ingredients came from within 100 miles of the restaurant and you could taste the difference. My dish omits the hollandaise and adds in some gigantic white beans that still give you that luxurious creamy texture that hollandaise has, without the fat. I also added on some crispy bacon, just a touch. This created another crispy texture and made it feel like a meal rather than a side dish or appetizer.

This recipe serves 4, but can be doubled easily.

Ingredients

1 Cup white beans in vinaigrette, I use Divina, if you don't have these or can't find them any quality white bean would work.*

1 Bunch of spring asparagus, these are the tender, small ones found in April & May.

4 Farm eggs, or organic ones if you don't have a local farm who sells eggs near you.

4 Pieces of pasture raised, pork bacon

4 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped.

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Directions

Heat up a grill pan on high heat. Prepare asparagus by taking one and bending it till it breaks, they naturally break where the stalk is the most tender. Cut all the stalks to match this one. In a large bowl mix the stalks with olive oil, salt and pepper and coat them evenly. Place them, in an even layer on the grill pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side till they are slightly browned and heated through. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil.

While the asparagus is cooking heat a saute pan to high heat and cook the four pieces of bacon till crispy. Crumble and place under foil with the asparagus to stay hot.

In the same saute pan, if its one you trust not to stick lower the heat to medium and cook the four eggs for a few minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Salt and pepper them while they cook. I like to cover them immediately because it allows the whites to set faster. If it is not a pan you trust, take the bacon grease and put it in a nonstick pan to cook the eggs. 

To serve spoon 1/4 cup of the white beans onto each plate. Top with 1/4 of the asparagus on each plate. Top this with an egg on each and sprinkle with the bacon and chives. I like to break the yolk and let it create a sauce over everything, pure bliss! 

*If you cannot find the divina marinated beans near you or do not want to purchase them online you can make your own version, it won't taste exactly the same but will still be very delicious. Buy a very good quality white bean, and mix it in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil and juice of 1 lemon, season with salt and pepper to taste. This will create a very similar flavor profile to the ones I buy. 

If you see something you like, or make something you like let me know! Leave a comment below! :)