Summer Vegetable Saute with Apple Chicken Sausage and Rice

Unfortunately, the one downside to the CSA is that I find myself trying to come up with dishes that use the most amount of vegetables possible at one time so they don't languish in the crisper drawers. This means that one particular vegetable never shines and they all merge together. But on the other side, I guess it is just good that I am eating vegetables, period.

Anyway, this is one of those kitchen sink summer vegetable sautes that turned out really well. I just love apple chicken sausage and the hint of sweetness that it brings to dishes.

Summer Vegetable Saute with Apple Chicken Sausage and Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
12 oz fully cooked apple chicken sausage, cut into rounds
1 cup uncooked rice, variety of your choice (I used basmati)
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 yellow summer squash, cut into half moons, or smaller
1 zucchini, cut into quarter moons (is that a technical term?)
2 small green peppers, diced
kernels cut from 2 ears corn
1/2 cup feta cheese (or some other cheese of your choice)
handful fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions or your preference.

3. Add more oil to the skillet and over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic for a couple minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and peppers. Cook until tender. Add the corn and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, mix in the cheese, the rice and the sausage. Taste for seasoning and top with the parsley.

Marshal Mike's Party

Marshal Mike is home on his two week break from Army duty in Afghanistan, so we decided to get our friends together for a little party.

Herewith the food I made for the party:

Crostini with fresh ricotta, honey and lemon zest

If you try nothing else new this year, try making fresh ricotta. As I mentioned the first time I made ricotta, it is so simple, but the results are so amazing.

I wanted to try a new recipe this time, so I chose this one from Food 52.  I hate to say it, but I was underwhelmed. It just tasted like cream in curd form. Delicious and creamy, yes, but it was lacking the tang and the flavor of the recipe I made last time (Ina Garten's). So I went back to the store, bought more whole milk and heavy cream, and whipped up a batch of Ina's ricotta. Yum, yum, yum. I did find that if using Ina's recipe, let the mixture sit in the pan for about 10 minutes (instead of the recommended 1 minute) before transferring to a cheesecloth-lined sieve. The recipe will yield about 3 cups of ricotta this way instead of 2.

Now, the ricotta is fabulous on its own, but it really shines when you use it in this recipe for Bruschetta with Ricotta, Honey and Lemon Zest. The flavor combination of these items is perfection!

I thought about trying to make pigs in a blanket as I have never made them (from scratch, anyway), but then I stumbled upon this recipe for Chicks in Blankets on epicurious.

Chicks in a blanket

I love apple chicken sausage, so decided to give this recipe a try. As you can see in the picture, some of my blankets didn't stay closed (exhibitionist chicks?), but they still tasted great! I did include little bowls of mustard to dip them in because I found each piece to be a little pastry-heavy.

To round out the homemade appetizers, I made avocado hummus, which I have posted about here. It is a recipe from the Washington Post that I have made a couple times (and never photograph!) and it is a crowd pleaser every time. I made pita chips to go with it.

Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

For dessert, I tried this recipe for salted double chocolate peanut butter cookies, which was created by a fellow Rhode Islander! These were also a crowd pleaser; if you like chocolate and peanut butter, give them a try!

CSA Week 8

In the CSA bag this week:

basil
tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
carrots
green beans
yellow summer squash
zucchini
garlic
green bell peppers
onions
cabbage

Ditalini with Sauteed Summer Squash

This is really simple and super quick, but packs a lot of flavor and is refreshingly light on a hot summer night.

I had originally been looking for a recipe to use up some of the CSA summer squash and chard and stumbled upon this one on the blog Rhubarb Sky. When I started to wash the chard, I realized that it was really past its prime and would have to make a new home in the trash instead of the skillet. Then I realized that I didn't have any orzo or basil, and the goat cheese in the fridge was moldy. So I decided I would just make up my own dish and was pleasantly surprised! The capers add an interesting salty/vinegary pop to the vegetables and the pasta.

Ditalini with Sauteed Summer Squash
Serves 3

Ingredients

1 cup ditalini
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
extra virgin olive oil
1 pattypan squash, diced
2 small yellow summer squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Salt generously. Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with one tablespoon butter.

2. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, less than a minute. Remove from the heat. Add the capers and a little bit of the liquid in the caper jar. Stir to combine.

3. Transfer the vegetables to the large bowl with the pasta. Add the final tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Add the cheese (I used 1/2 - 3/4 cup) and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Purple Basil Pesto Pasta

Today's post brought to you by the letter "p."

My poor purple basil didn't look so great after the first night, so I knew I had to do something with it quickly. The most useful thing I could come up with was pesto.

I found a great recipe on a blog named Farmgirl Fare. I liked that the recipe used almonds instead of pine nuts; it altered the taste just slightly so it was different than expected.  I didn't have any fresh tomatoes, so I threw in a couple sundried tomato halves (the ones in oil, not the dried ones) and was happy with the results.

CSA Week 7

In the CSA bag for week 7 we have (clockwise from top left):

gorgeous fragrant purple basil!
chard
white onions
beans (I actually don't know what variety these are)
potatoes
yellow summer squash
garlic (I have a TON of garlic now)
zucchini
corn!!

Sorrel Mac and Cheese

I was really anxious about using the sorrel from my CSA bag before it went bad. I figured it is such a special ingredient that I would really be doing it (and me) a disservice if I let it turn yellow and stink up my crisper drawer. Luckily I found a recipe for mac and cheese with sorrel! A warm comforting cheesy bowl of mac and cheese was just what I needed.

Raw sorrel is really special and a total surprise if you aren't expecting it. The leaves are firm and have body, more like kale and less like lettuce, and taste like they were dipped in lemon juice. It is also highly addictive. When I was removing the leaves from the stems I found myself popping the smaller pieces into my mouth and I couldn't stop!

I don't think this recipe showcases the uniqueness of the sorrel, but it is still pretty good. The sorrel adds a subtle earthiness to the normal flavors of mac and cheese. This could have been better if I had thought to toast some breadcrumbs with parsley and parmesan to throw on top of the finished dish. Next time!

I followed Wintergreen Farm's recipe, so I won't retype it here. I don't think an entire box of pasta is necessary; I used about 3/4 box of cavatappi (my preferred shape for mac and cheese). Also, I used skim milk, because that is what I had; I am sure milk with a fat content would make this dish creamier and more delicious.

Summer Squash Couscous and Tzatziki

This was a great meal to use up a bunch of CSA veggies. It was also a perfect light, summertime dinner.

My friend Jo had emailed me her recipe for tzatziki and suggested I make some to use up my CSA cucumbers; I couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to her recipe or another one that I had that said to use whole or 2% Greek yogurt. I used non-fat, which I think is why mine turned out the consistency of a watered down smoothie. It still tasted good and coated the couscous and veggies, but it would have been nice if it was a little thicker. Jo's recipe is below with some comments from me.

For the couscous, I was inspired by a simple recipe from the New York Times from 1989! That seems like so long ago! I used pearl (Israeli) couscous because I like that there is just more to it than regular couscous.

Jo's Tzatziki Sauce

Servings: 6; Serving Size: ¼ cup

Ingredients: 

18 ounces (1 large container) 2% plain Greek Yogurt (I could only find a 16oz container, so that is what I used)

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced (you only need to cut the cucumber into large chunks, let the food processor do the work for you)

2 tablespoons olive oil (I didn't add any olive oil because mine was already too thin)

1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice (I used a whole lemon, not sure how many ounces that is)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper (pepper is not really my friend, so I only did a grind or two)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I love dill, so I added slightly more)

3 garlic cloves, peeled (next time I would try 2 garlic cloves; I thought 3 was too strong, especially after it sits for a day or two)

 

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine the yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill, and garlic. Process until well combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Garnish with sliced, raw cucumber.

 

 

Pearl Couscous with Summer Squash

Adapted from the NY Times

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked pearl couscous

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, diced (I used a red onion because that is what my CSA gave me, you could obviously use a yellow onion)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 small yellow summer squash, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 small pattypan squash, diced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

large handful of flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

1. In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, add the couscous, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. (My couscous package said 8-10 minutes, but mine was done at about 6 minutes. You have to watch it!) Stir to fluff and remove from the heat (keep the cover on it to keep it warm).

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir to coat. Add the squash and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked and soft-ish, but it still has some integrity. (You want to chew the squash, not gum them!) This will take 8-10 minutes, depending on how large your dice. Taste for seasoning.

3. Add the couscous to the veggies and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve with the chilled tzatziki.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

These are insanely peanut buttery and insanely delicious!

MM loves just about any dessert that has peanut butter as an ingredient, so I am always on the look-out for recipes. My friend Allison forwarded this recipe from a runner's blog she reads.

I have to admit I wasn't paying full attention to the recipe when I made them and I ended up putting in over two times the called for amount of peanut butter.  Luckily, as my mom assured me, sometimes mistakes end up being successful. Now, I couldn't imagine making these with less peanut butter!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Accidentally adapted from Eat, Run, Read
makes a 13x9 inch pan

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until well blended. Add the chocolate chunks.

3. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes (mine was done at 20 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't overcook them!

CSA Week 6

In week six's CSA bag we have:

lemon basil (mmmmmmm, sooooo delicious!)
sorrel (I have never had sorrel, so was in for a treat. It is sour and slightly lemony. Apparently the French like to add it to sauces and soups; we'll see what this Rhode Islander ends up doing with it!)
parsley
red onions
the smallest fennel bulb I have ever seen
blackberries (they are much sweeter than week four's blackberries)
yellow summer squash
garlic
cucumbers (boo! I already told a couple co-workers I would bring them in for their consumption.)
pattypan squash (I have never tried pattypan squash, so I am looking forward to them.)

Roasted Beet, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

In my mind, this salad was going to turn out better than it did in reality. How does the saying go? A team is only as strong as its weakest link? Well, the cucumbers were the weakest link for this salad. The beets, tomatoes, feta, basil and white balsamic vinaigrette were delicious and complementary. The cucumbers stood out like an angsty teenager standing in the corner refusing to socialize. (Although the beets did color them a gorgeous red as you can see in the picture.)

My vinaigrette was adapted from two recipes I found online: one from a blog called Loulies, and one from a blog called Cafe Johnsonia. While it tasted great, it was too oily once it was on the vegetables. The recipe below is how I made mine, but I would recommend decreasing the amount of olive oil.  

So the problem I am presented with is that not only do I have two cucumbers left, but what am I going to do if I get more cucumbers from the CSA this week?!

Roasted Beet, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, stalks removed (except about 1 inch) and peeled (I know most people like to roast the beets and then peel them afterwards. I just can't get behind that preparation. I prefer to peel the beets prior to roasting.)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cucumber, cut into rounds, then quartered
1 bag cherry tomatoes, quartered (my friend and former roommate, Lilly, used to buy bags of Nature Sweet cherry tomatoes all the time, so now whenever I buy them, I think of her. Hi, Lilly!)
Handful of basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1-2 oz crumbled feta chesse

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Place the beets in a piece of aluminum foil and pour about a tablespoon of olive oil over them. Wrap up the foil tightly and place the package on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-40 minutes until tender. (The cooking time obviously depends on how big your beets are. Mine were tiny, so only took about 25 minutes.)

2. Meanwhile, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl. When the beets are done and have cooled slightly (you could let them cool completely, but I am incredibly impatient), cut them into bite-sized pieces and mix in with the other vegetables. Add a little of the vinaigrette, mix and taste. Add more vinaigrette if desired. Add the feta on top (unless you don't care if it turns pink, then mix it right in!).

For the vinaigrette

1 shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk the shallot, mustard and vinegar together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then add the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Orecchiette with Chard, Sweet Sausage and Cannellini Beans

This dish was inspired by one of my favorite of Giada's pasta recipes: Orecchiette with Sausage, Beans and Mascarpone. It is in my normal pasta rotation in the cooler months, because it is comforting and delicious. I had it in mind when I was trying to come up with something to do with the gorgeous bunch of rainbow chard from my CSA bag. (I am not using the word "gorgeous" lightly. A couple of the leaves had stems that were bright magenta on one side, then you turn it over and the underside was bright orange! Nice work, nature.)

Orecchiette with Chard, Sweet Sausage and Cannellini Beans
Inspired by Giada
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz dried orecchiette
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I think this was just over 1/2 pound and you could certainly use pork, turkey or chicken sausage)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves torn or chopped into large pieces
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
large handful flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped (my CSA parsley is the best parsley I have ever tasted - so lemony and wonderful)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; generously salt it. Cook the pasta according to package directions. (Orecchiette take longer to cook than other shapes of pasta and I found that if I dumped the pasta into the pot at the same time that I started the sauce, it was all finished at the same time.) Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and stir so the onion is covered in the oil. Add the garlic, stirring until fragrant (less than a minute). Add the sausage, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and the sausage is fully cooked.

3. Add the stock and the chard to the pan. Cover and cook until the chard has wilted, a couple minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and add the pasta. Stir, then add the cheese. Taste for seasoning (I didn't need to add any salt or pepper). Portion into bowls and top with more cheese and the parsley. (I saved some of the pasta water to add to the Tupperware containers with the leftovers. If you don't have any leftovers, you probably won't need the pasta water.)

Cucumber Water a la Jo

When life (or a CSA bag) hands you cucumbers, make cucumber water!

Last year sometime when I was visiting my friend Jo in NYC she had a pitcher of cucumber water in her fridge. It was so refreshing to drink; the cucumber added a faint delightfully grassy flavor to the water. I thought, why haven't I made this? After getting cucumbers from my CSA the past two weeks, and trying to figure out what to do with them, I remembered Jo's cucumber water and made up a batch. For an extra special treat, add the cucumbers to seltzer water. Delicious!

Caprese Salad

Sometimes a girl just wants a Caprese salad.

Frittata with Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

"You had me at frittata..."

What's ironic about my decision to make a frittata on one of the first days back from my weekend in Rhode Island is that my mom was trying to send me back to DC with a dozen eggs from her backyard chickens (she has 18, I think). I declined, even though her chickens make gorgeous eggs with bright marigold-colored yolks, because I don't eat a lot of eggs. I pretty much only use eggs in baking. And then I decided to make a frittata - with grocery store eggs. It is a travesty, really.

Regardless, this frittata was delicious! The recipe is from the Sur La Table cookbook, Eating Local (diligent readers will remember that the beet dip from my vegetarian dinner party came from this cookbook as well). I added in caramelized onions because I happen to have a couple onions on hand and I used more basil and cheese than the recipe called for, because has more basil and cheese ever hurt a recipe? I don't think so. The one thing that annoyed me was the halved tomatoes - very pretty to look at on top of the frittata, but their insides gushed out when you cut into them. Smaller pieces would be just a little more fork friendly.

Frittata with Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Adapted from Eating Local

Serves 3 as a main dish

Ingredients

3 or more tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1/3 inch thick slices
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
 freshly ground black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
handful fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
2-3 oz goat cheese

1. Preheat a broiler and position a rack 8 to 10 inches from the element.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes. If the onions are cooking too quickly, lower the heat. If the pan gets dry, add a little more olive oil. Continue cooking the onions to your desired level of caramelization. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10-inch non-stick broiler-proof skillet over moderately high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the zucchini. The slices should fit in a single layer (I had to cook my zucchini in 3 batches because I cut them thinner than the recipe suggests). Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer the slices to paper towel to drain and cool. Discard the oil remaining in the skillet and wipe the skillet dry with a paper towel.

4. Return the skillet to moderately low heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk the eggs with the salt and pepper in a bowl, whisk in the onion, then stir in the sauteed zucchini. Add to the hot skillet and use a heatproof rubber spatula to separate the zucchini slices so that they are evenly spaced. Cook slowly until the frittata is mostly set but still a little runny on top, 8 to 10 minutes. Scatter the cherry tomatoes and basil over the surface, poking them down into the moist egg. Dot with the goat cheese (I used more cheese than the recipe calls for).

5. Put the skillet under the broiler element until the top is puffed (mine did not puff), firm to the touch, and golden brown, 2-3 minutes (mine took 3-4 minutes). Slide the frittata out onto a cutting board or serving platter. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges (I may have waited 5 minutes). The frittata is best when warm, not hot.

Summer Squash Gratin

I've never cared much for summer squash (yellow or zucchini). I ignore recipes that feature them and shy away from restaurant dishes that include them. But then I tried my CSA's summer squash and while I wouldn't say that I love them, I do like them. A lot. They were tender and delicate; my knife effortlessly sliced through them.

After being out of town for the holiday weekend, I had a bunch of vegetables to use up before they went bad. I decided I would try to make a gratin. I reviewed Mark Bittman's section on gratins in How To Cook Everything Vegetarian and I did a couple quick google searches. Then I decided I would just make it up as I went along. And I have to say I was pleased with the results!

Summer Squash Gratin
Serves 3 as a main dish, more as a side

This is easily adaptable for however many vegetables you have and whatever variety of vegetables you may have. I used a large Le Creuset oval baking dish because I had a lot of vegetables to use. The one thing (or at least the one thing I can think of at this moment) that would make this even better would be to caramelize the onions and leeks before adding them to the dish.

Extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, cut in half through the root and sliced
2 baby leeks, washed well and cut into rounds
1 sweet potato, diced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic butter
Couple tablespoons tarragon leaves
3 small yellow summer squash, ends trimmed and sliced
1 zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced
1-2 cups breadcrumbs (I used packaged seasoned Italian breadcrumbs - panko or homemade breadcrumbs probably would have been better)
Grated pecorino romano (if I had had Parmigiano-Reggiano, I would have used that instead)
10 or more anise hyssop leaves, cut into chiffonade
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Combine the onion, leeks, sweet potato and a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Should you have garlic butter sitting in the fridge, feel free to throw a couple tablespoons on top of the veggies. Scatter some tarragon leaves over the vegetables.

3. Layer the squash and zucchini over the bottom layer of vegetables. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, anise hyssop leaves, more salt and pepper and some olive oil over the top. Bake for 30 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from the oven and scatter some butter cubes over the top. Bake for another 10 or so minutes until all the vegetables are tender and the top is brown.

CSA Week 5

In week five's bag we have:

rainbow chard
basil
red beets
cucumbers
sweet onions
parsley
zucchini

July 4th Celebration

I was in Rhode Island over the holiday weekend and thought I would share an assortment of photos.

Menu for the day

Clam Chowda

Clam cakes

French fries

Lobsta

Fruit tart

Cookies with fresh fruit

Mmmmm, cake!

And because this is a pet-friendly blog, here are pictures of some of the dogs in our family (we have inadvertently become a dog-heavy family)!

My cousin's dog, Dahlia, meeting a lobsta.

My aunt and uncle's dog, Nemo, at home on the beach.

Now this is really special and kind of embarrassing. Patton was afraid of the waves crashing against the rocks. And you can see how big the waves are - practically non-existent. Hilarious.

Pancakes!

When I was walking Patton after work and thinking about what I should have for dinner, I started to think about butter and maple syrup. And that naturally led me to pancakes!

I used a combination of Mark Bittman's recipe for Everyday Pancakes and a CHOW recipe for Basic Pancakes. Mine ended up with that great crisp edge that you see in the picture, but the insides were light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla and the right amount of salt. I added blueberries to a couple of them that I was going to eat right away, but I like the plain ones gently warmed the next day and spread with a thin layer of peanut butter. Yum!

Pancakes
Adapted from Mark Bittman and CHOW
Makes about 10 (approximately 5 inches in diameter)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (if you use table salt, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk (normally I would use skim milk, but I had whole milk leftover from the vanilla bean ice cream, so I wanted to use it up)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Whisk in the milk, then the sugar and vanilla. Continue whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the melted butter and whisk some more!

2. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stop whisking when everything is combined. (You don't want to over whisk it.) This batter is very thick; you can add more milk if you like thinner pancakes.

3. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium low heat. Grease the pan with butter, a neutral oil, cooking spray, etc. (I like to use butter because I think it tastes better). Add pancakes by the ladleful. (If you are adding blueberries, plop them onto the batter now.) When bubbles form on the edges, they should be ready to flip. Lower the heat if they are getting too brown. The pancakes should be finished when the second side is golden (the pancakes won't need as long on the second side).