Summer Fruit Pancakes

You might think that my parents had health issues because of the amount of bacon, butter, and eggs with which we cooked, but neither had those problems.  I have no scientific evidence to prove my theory, but I believe it was because we gardened organically and all of the meat was organically, farm raised and processed.  We did not consume large amounts of food and we worked hard all year, except December and January.  We ate protein for breakfast and at lunch, on Sundays.
We sat together at the table and we left when everyone had finished.  The first time one of my cousins asked to be excused from their dinner table, I was horrified. Why would they leave the table, I wondered? Was the conversation so boring?  I have always wondered and never asked.
I found the conversation at the dinner table compelling.  All sorts of topics were discussed, except topics that were considered inappropriate for mixed company or the table, including calving, butchering, news that might be controversial, and the like. For the most part, conversations were about funny things that happened during our day or a neighbor coming to visit.  When Debbie and Charlotte Knox or Jimmy Bingham came to visit, or we walked across the field to their house, my sister and I got to  play with them.  That was not often because most families in our area were doing the same things we were doing.

The one chore that I hated the most was picking up mesquite beans.  Once the beans dried and fell from the tree, Nancy and I had to pick up 2 five gallon buckets, each, per day until school started.  We filled a feed room to supplement hay to the cattle in the winter.  But at least we did not have to smash boll weevils the way some of our friends did.
Enough of that, this post is about using as much of what you have and discarding as little as possible.  This is a good recipe to use any fruit that might be starting to get soft. The pancakes are very thin and delicate; with a little cornmeal for texture.  My mother always put a small amount of cornmeal in her pancakes and it made them wonderful.  Then she would make a delicious homemade syrup and slather a small amount of butter between each pancake as she took them off of the griddle. She used bacon  drippings to coat the griddle.  I have tried to copy many of her recipes but they never quite taste the same. Remember to stir the bottom of the batter before scooping it out.  This will keep the cornmeal distributed, evenly.

3 cups of coarsely chopped Fruit, I used peaches, bananas, and strawberries
3/4 cup of Flour
1/4 cup of Cornmeal
1/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cup of Sour Milk, I made mine with 1 teaspoon of Sepay Groves Raspberry Vinegar and the balance with 2 % milk
2 Tablespoons of Butter, melted
extra butter for the griddle
Fresh, Sweetened Whipped Cream
Syrup of Jam, I used my homemade Dewberry Jam

Heat an electric griddle to 375 degrees.
Chop fruit and set aside in a bowl.
Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, Add eggs and whisk.  Combine butter with sour milk.  Add to flour-egg mixture.  Whisk until smooth.  Add chopped fruit.
Use a small amount of butter to grease the griddle.  Ladle batter onto hot griddle, 1/4 cup at a time.  Once the pancakes start to bubble, all over, flip and cook the other side.  Remove to a serving plate and repeat until all the batter has been used.
Serve with your choice of toppings.

Enjoy!

Deloris