Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberries

Local strawberries are here! And what better way to enjoy strawberries than with easy, delicious cottage cheese pancakes?



Easy cottage cheese pancakes with fresh, local strawberries and yogurt

Adam Hausmann from Adam’s Berry Farm in Burlington’s Intervale says, “It has been an early spring so we are actually opening up about 10 days ahead of previous years. We have some exciting new varieties of strawberries that we are happy to be growing along with many of the old standbys that we have grown for years. The warm spring has speed the season along so come down and enjoy the berry bounty.” Adam’s hours are 12-6 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m-4 p.m. week-ends, or pick some up at City Market.

Local strawberries, plump and juicy

My mother shared this recipe with me on a recent visit (hi Mom, if you’re reading this). They are really a variety of crepe, high in protein, light and fluffy, and come together quickly in the blender. I like to make them with Jack Lazor’s local cottage cheese from Butterworks Farm, which doesn't have that weird cardboardy taste that a lot of cottage cheese does.




The name says it all: Butterworks Farm cottage cheese

If you use this cottage cheese, you will get to make these pancakes two times (or double the recipe if you’re feeding 4).

Even though they look like crepes, they're not hard to make. Just make sure you get the pan hot enough and add the butter when it's sizzling. Then swirl the batter around in the pan.


When the pan is good and hot, bubbles appear as you make the crepe, which makes them light and fluffy.
 
Top the pancakes with sliced strawberries mixed with a little honey and perhaps a dollop of homemade yogurt.

HOMEMADE YOGURT, you say? Yes, this month I am offering two classes on how to make your own yogurt in simple steps with no special equipment. On June 20th I will offer a class at City Market from 11 a.m.-12 p.m., and on June 22nd I will offer one at the new Community Kitchen at the Chubby Muffin coffee shop in Burlington’s Old North End from 6-7 p.m. (for the latter, e-mail me at choman@citymarket.coop to sign up).

Enjoy!
 
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
½ cup quick oats
1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs
2 Tbs.-1/3 cup yogurt or buttermilk
Pinch baking soda
 
Combine ingredients in the blender and blend (start with 2 Tbs. yogurt and see if that’s enough to blend smoothly; otherwise add more as needed). Allow to rest for a few minutes while prepping the fruit, setting the table, etc.
 
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan to medium-high heat. When it’s hot, grease the bottom with a little butter. Pour or ladle some batter into the skillet and swirl around (it doesn’t have to be a perfect circle or a circle at all). When it bubbles, check to see if the pancake is golden underneath. If it is, flip and cook the other side until golden, as well. Serve immediately with fresh fruit and yogurt.