Vanilla Sky & Blueberry Breakfast…

Hot Popover Pancake with Summertime Blueberries Pulled from the Freezer

Blue sunrise. This morning I awoke to find every windowpane blasted with frozen droplets of water from last night’s winter storm. Thunder, lighting, snow and freezing rain; it seems all four seasons passed through New England yesterday in the blink of an eye. And today —with ice-laden trees swaying in the wind— I held my fingers crossed for a melt that never came. The sound of crashing limbs and shattering branches fills the forest surrounding my home and the power has been flickering on and off all day. Fortunately I’ve a warm wood stove and plenty of work to do in my studio, because it looks like I may not be leaving here for the rest of the day…

Vanilla Sky at Sunrise

Winter Windowpane

Sunrise Through Frozen Water Droplets

Certainly ice storms are dangerous —and often incredibly destructive— but in the sparkling sunlight, there’s just no denying their beauty. Early this morning, a vanilla-tinted sunrise and cool, bluish clouds created some of the most spectacular winter skies I’ve ever seen. And as the first light of dawn caught ice-coated branches, my entire hilltop became a kaleidoscope of sparkling wonder. So with this gorgeous landscape for inspiration, and the sound of Chet Baker’s ‘Almost Blue’ floating around the kitchen (thank you for the suggestion Barbara B.) I decided to try something new from Ruth Lively’s Cooking from the Garden, in a similar hue…

Blueberry Popover Pancake

Blueberry Popover Pancake

{Adapted from Ruth Lively’s Cooking from the Garden}

Ingredients: (serves two)

1 1/4       cups whole milk (farm style is best)

3              eggs

1              cup all-purpose flour

1              tablespoon farm-fresh, melted, unsalted butter

pinch of fine salt

3/4           cup fresh blueberries (or thawed, frozen berries)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degree fahrenheit. Butter an 8″ pan (cast iron or non-stick sauté pan with ovenproof handle).

Combine all ingredients, except blueberries, in a blender. Blend thoroughly for several minutes until the batter is light and fluffy.

Gently pour the mixture into the buttered pan. Distribute blueberries (or other berry) over the top of the pancake batter and place the pan in the hot oven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes without opening the oven! If you open the oven door to peek, the popover-pancake will implode! The less you disturb the pancake while baking, the puffier it will be when you remove it from the oven. If you have an oven window, you can turn on the light and watch it through the glass. But be patient!  You can check for doneness after 30 minutes by slipping a knife in and out of the center. It should pull clean. If not, give it a few more minutes. The top should be crispy and brown and the inner part should be moist and fluffy.

Remove from the oven and serve with butter and warm blueberry syrup, maple syrup or jam. It’s pretty fun to tear the pancake and dip it into syrup with your fingers. There’s no sugar in this recipe, so you’ll want to jazz it up on your plate with a bit of sparkling sweetness…

Ice-Laden Hops Vine (Humulus lupulus) Twisted Round a Steel Cable

The Valley Cloaked in a Heavy Coat of Cool, Crystal-Clear Ice

The Silvery Hilltop Glinting in Morning Sunlight

 

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Article and Photographs are â“’ Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden

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