Sweet corn pancakes, mud and zucchini.

Well, Honeybunch and I completed the 10k adventure race "mud run" this past weekend.  What a challenge!  6.3 miles of running, climbing, swimming, mucking, jumping, sliding, and belly-crawling through mud.  We were literally up to our ears in mud!  I really enjoyed the obstacles (think bootcamp on a rainy day... cargo nets, hurdles, walking across a ravine on ropes), and the pure ridiculousness of being so incredibly filthy.  We got hosed down by a fire truck after completing the race, and it still took three cycles through the washing machine to get our clothes (mostly) clean.

A local farm has already begun harvesting sweet corn and blueberries, which is positively thrilling me.  This past weekend I made sweet corn pancakes with homemade raw butter (which turned out so neon yellow I could hardly believe it).  It tasted like heaven.  The recipe I use is adapted from one given to me by dear TreeMan.  His mother used to make them in batches for 60+ people at a time!!  We've divided the recipe to serve about 10 people, and you can halve it again if you want but I find that these are best when shared with neighbors and friends.  I fyou want pure, straight-up buttermilk pancakes, the original recipe called for all white flour and no spices/vanilla.  I personally can't resist fuddling with it to complement whatever goodies I'm adding (corn, blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips...).  I've added other spices and whole grain flours with great success, so feel free to experiment so long as you keep the proportions in tact.


Sweet Corn Pancakes

Mix in batches to feed 10 people at a time as listed below.
4 ½ c. flour (I usually use 2 c. whole wheat flour and 1/2 c. finely ground corn meal here)
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp + 2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
½ c. oil
6 c. buttermilk*
1 c. fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels (or other goodies).
Sift dry ingredients together.  Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Stir in oil and buttermilk and beat together.
Add to dry ingredients, stirring only until dry ingredients are completely moistened.  Fold in corn.  DO NOT OVER BEAT!
Brush hot griddle with vegetable oil and fry, turning once.  My rule of thumb is to turn my pancakes when there are at least 5 bubbles forming in the center of the cake.

Serve with fresh butter and warmed maple syrup.  These keep well in the fridge for several days and can be gently reheated in the oven with great success. 

* Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand for five minutes and you have made buttermilk.

Our garden is providing us with snow and snap peas, green beans, lettuces, carrots and zucchini now.  A few little hot peppers the size of my little finger sprung up overnight where I swear there had just been flowers yesterday.  Despite having cages as support, I've had to tie up the branches of our tomato plants to keep them from breaking with the weight of the fruit growing on them.  They're positively loaded, and some of the fruit are already as big as my fist.  Next year I may invest in some Texas Tomato cages like these http://tomatocage.com/, as my tomato plants are almost taller than I am and stretching far above the funnel-shaped wire cages I used to support them.

The chickens haven't laid eggs for the past two days.  I'm wondering what the heck is going on with them... they don't appear to be molting, they're acting normal and healthy... just no eggs.  I've searched the yard to see if they had a hidden nest somewhere but there's nothing.  Very curious.  I suppose they're lucky we're vegetarian... but if they keep this up I might make an exception!!

Not really.  I love those birds.  I'd keep chickens even if they didn't lay eggs, just for their antics and snuggles. 

Oh, Popcorn.  You act so tough in the yard but you're really just a big ol' softie!!