When Summer Gets Delayed

Right now it is 50 degrees outside, 67 inside. The weather guys promise it will be up to the high 80s by Memorial Day weekend. That's cold comfort, pardon the pun, when the house temp keeps going down and more quilts keep going on the bed.

  Memorial Weekend. Did you catch that? It is almost the end of  May. My flags are out.

My precious Thumbelina zinnias are in bloom. The size of a thumbnail, they live up to their name.

 It's too cold to eat on the screened porch so I've been trying to think of recipes that help us live through this weird spell of weather. When it is cold, we turn to comfort food. This week I discovered a better-for-you alternative to rice flour. Oat flour. I found it is perfect for pancakes, one of the best comfort foods around. We don't eat pancakes much in the spring and summer but it's cold so we're going there!

First, I played with the winterized version of Bob's Red Mill Pancakes. The recipe makes pancakes with both gluten-free oats and oat flour. Plenty of plant protein and fiber, the texture comes out similar to scones. Heavy but in a good way. Perfect for maple syrup, cinnamon and butter.  

   
 But we needed something lighter. We don't want to go back into hibernation or not fit in our bathing suits! So I ditched the oats and milk, making a version that is the perfect base for strawberries (and whipped cream, just pretend it's there).  Perfect. Except for the way those strawberries are arranged. They look like a face.

 Two way Oat Flour pancakes, adapted from Bob's Red Mill Oat Pancake recipe:

Winter version:

3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 oats
1 cup milk or almond milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
dash sea salt
3 eggs, beaten
water to thin to a pourable batter

-Heat milk in a glass bowl in microwave for two to three minutes.
-Stir in oats. Let stand five minutes.
-In a mixing bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder and salt. Add oat-milk mixture.
-Beat eggs then add to flour/oat mixture, stirring until combined. (Add a bit of water to thin if too stiff.) Do not over stir.
-Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet.
-Pour 1/4 cup on griddle and cook until bubbly and edges are set. Turn and cook until other side is lightly browned.

Serve with maple sugar or syrup, clotted cream, preserves. 

Summer version:

1 1/2 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten

Mix dry ingredients together.
Whisk eggs and water together. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined.
Let sit five minutes.
Cook in 1/4 c portions until top is bubbly and edges are set. Turn and cook until other side is lightly browned.

Serve with fresh fruit, lemon curd, cream cheese.

What about you? Have you every adapted a winter dish for summer or visa versa? What about this weather? Have you had snow in May or is it hotter than normal where you live?