Spinach, Scallion, Brown Rice, and Sesame Pancake Recipe

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

The first market of the season is coming up in just one week, and we can't wait to get the early crops out on your tables. We hope this recipe from the NY Times will help spinach and scallions sneak into your breakfast next week. 

Note: Try coconut oil in place of canola oil, and if you don't have buttermilk, just put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar into 1 cup of milk or cream and let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes, and, as if by magic, you will have yourself some buttermilk.

1 1/2 cups (200 grams) whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons (30 grams) toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) cooked brown rice

1 bunch scallions, sliced

6 ounces spinach leaves (baby spinach or stemmed bunch spinach)

2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled feta

1.

 Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and turmeric. Stir in the sesame seeds.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the buttermilk, milk and canola oil. Quickly whisk in the flour mixture and fold in the brown rice and scallions.

3. Steam the spinach over 1 inch of boiling water for 2 minutes, or just until wilted. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop. Stir into the pancake batter, along with the feta.

4. Heat a griddle or a large skillet, either nonstick or seasoned cast iron, over medium-high heat. Brush with butter or oil. Use a 1/4-cup ladle or cup measure to drop 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto your heated pan or griddle. Cook until they are brown on the edges and bubbles break through, 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully slide a spatula underneath and flip them over. Cook on the other side until pancakes are nicely browned. Serve hot.

Yield: 16 pancakes

Advance preparation: The pancakes can be frozen for a few months and keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a low oven or in a microwave.

Nutritional information per pancake: 120 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 28 milligrams cholesterol; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 286 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein

Pruning for more awesome tomatoes

A big 'thank you' to those of you who made it out to the farm for our tomato sale.  To make sure that you get to experience the joy of eating tomatoes so fresh, they don't know they're off the vine yet, we want to give you some tips on pruning your new little plants.

When done correctly, pruning can:

• Encourage earlier production,
• Increase the number and size of fruits,
  
• Promote flavor, and
• Reduce risk of disease

Pruning is essentially training your tomato plant to use it's energy efficiently.  This is accomplished by limiting the number of stems that form to two or three "leaders" or independent stems that have their own off-shoots of fruit and leaves. You have to start pruning relatively early (maybe a week after you transplant your tomatoes into your garden) because you want to encourage your plant to split into two or three healthy "leaders" that are close to the ground.  Developing low, healthy leaders is key to sweet fruit because the plant's sugar concentration is higher close to the roots.  

The plant starts with a main stem, which is the original leader, and one or two more desirable suckers form the other leaders. How do you know which suckers to choose for leaders? It's simple; the plant will show you.  The suckers you want to become leaders will quickly become prominent and a "Y" will form in the plant.  After this happens, you should prune each new sucker that forms.  After all, they are called "suckers" because the suck valuable energy out of the plant; energy that should be going towards fruit production. 

Pruning Suckers

The pruning is simple, just use your index finger and thumb to gently pinch-off suckers. You should prune the suckers below the first fruit cluster (yellow flower cluster).  

Pruning the Lower Leaves

As your plant matures, some of the lower leaves will weaken and begin to yellow.  This is your sign to prune those leaves, as they are weak and only sapping energy from fruit production.  To prune them, gently place your thumb on the under side of the leaf hand where it meets the stem.  With you fingers around the stem to support it, push the leaf hand up towards the stem to help pop it off.