Sacramento Digs Gardening: Cheery way to start the day: Pancakes packed with cherries

A neighbor’s bountiful trees remind me: We’re still in cherry season. But it won’t last much longer.

Here’s a way to start your day with this flavorful fruit. Instead of traditional blueberry, try these cheery buttermilk pancakes packed with juicy sweet cherries.

Flip the pancakes when they have plenty
of bubbles.

This simple pancake recipe makes the most of fresh cherries. Remove the pits and cut the cherries into quarters; the smaller pieces make for better distribution in the batter.

Fold the fruit gently into the batter; otherwise, the batter may turn pink with cherry juice (which is OK, too).

For fluffier pancakes, make sure your ingredients stay cold before mixing.

Serve with butter or margarine and syrup. Maple syrup works fine; cherry or berry-flavored syrup is even better.

Cherry buttermilk pancakes

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quartered

Butter or margarine for griddle

Instructions:

These pancakes almost don't need anything else
-- but serve with butter and syrup if desired.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

In a smaller bowl, mix together buttermilk and beaten egg. Stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients until smooth. Stir in melted butter or margarine. Fold in cherries.

Heat griddle to 350 degrees F. Melt butter or margarine on the griddle.

Spoon or ladle batter onto griddle. Let pancakes cook until bubbles cover the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

Serve warm with butter or margarine and syrup, if desired.

RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

recipe recipes pancakes cherries fruit spring June breakfast cooking produce management farmers markets stone fruit Sacramento gardening

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Garden checklist for week of March 8

During this sunny week, get your garden set up for a beautiful spring:

* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.

* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.

* Prepare vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.

* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as broccoli, collards and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (Soak beet seeds first for better germination.)

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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