Weekday Juneberry Pancakes

The sun had been up for a few hours by now, although the heat hadn't quite set in as I pulled into the farmer's market. It was already alive with food trucks, vendors and a band setting up in the shade.

Bags in hand I walked to the first vendor, checking out the fresh carrots, beets, lettuce, greens and herbs. The next had beautiful flowers and herbs as well. More than one vendor was selling fresh made bread and pints of cherry tomatoes. Mushrooms, kale, berries and peppers littered the stands where ever I went.

A few berries caught my eye. The best part of summer being the vibrant fruit that I can never get enough of. Of course raspberries made their way into my bag. Along with june berries or saskatoon berries. These berries look a little like blueberries but they are more mellow and more complex. Their shape is also rather unusual for a berry and their color ranges from a deep purple to a lighter red.

I ate the raspberries out of hand, and on top of chia seed pudding I had made during the week. But the June berries, they were begging to be wrapped in the sweet pillow of whole grain pancakes.

Pancakes have always been a special treat for me. Something that I never really made from scratch until I was living on my own in college. Usually the pancakes were made with a box of Bisquick or Aunt Jemima’s. Just add water and pour onto your griddle. But there’s something about pancakes made from scratch that taste a bit better. Maybe it’s the heart and soul that went into the batter, being careful to never overmix. Confident that lumps are perfectly acceptable as you pour the batter onto the preheated griddle. Waiting patiently for just the right moment to flip and that satisfaction of seeing beautiful golden brown.

 Something about folding fresh berries into the mix makes the pancakes taste all the better. Juneberries are very similar to blueberries in tartness and sweetness but have a grape-like quality I can’t place. I love the color of juneberries and their slightly unusual shape. It makes them quite photogenic if I do say so myself.

 I always recommend a healthy dose of pure maple syrup when it comes to pancakes. But use what you have! Top with an abundance of berries slightly mashed, agave nectar, jam, nut butters-anything is fair game. These are your pancakes after all.

The cooked pancakes can be frozen for up to a month and reheated in a 325 degree oven or toaster oven for an even faster weekday breakfast.

Weekday Juneberry Pancakes

Ali Lawrence | 7/19/19

• prep time: 10 minutes
• cook time: 15 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of spelt or whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Berries of choice

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the wet ingredients
2. Add the flour and then the rest of the dry ingredients.
3. Stir until just combined. Don’t overmix, lumps are okay
4. Heat up a pancake griddle to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil
5. Spoon a half cup or ladle full of batter onto the lightly oiled griddle (smaller amount for sand dollar pancakes). Once you’ve scooped the batter onto the griddle add a few berries of choice on top of the batter.
6. Wait to flip the pancake until the sides have set and the bubbles coming up to the top stop popping
7. Flip and cook on the other side until the center of the pancake springs back to the touch
8. Eat right away with your favorite toppings or place in a low oven until ready to serve