Blueberry Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes

I don't make pancakes very often, because come on -- who needs a massive dose of carbohydrates and nothing else first thing in the morning? (Well, Lawson the cereal eater apparently does, but that at least involves milk, too.) When I do have breakfast, it usually involves eggs. But I have a quart of buttermilk that I'm having a rough time finishing up, so I made these pancakes this weekend.

Following some ideas in the Joy of Cooking, I used a standard buttermilk pancake recipe, using whole wheat flour instead of white, and added blueberries and a whole tablespoonful of lemon zest.

Really, really good.

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Brittany asked me for some healthy baking recipes. I thought I had lost track of this one, but fortunately Mom still had her copy of Simply Colorado from 1989, the source of this delicious muffin recipe. They have the added advantage of using frozen blueberries so you can make them year-round.

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (raw)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine above ingredients and set aside. Mix:

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 beaten egg

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and mix just until blended. Fold in:

1 cup frozen blueberries

Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle over all:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Fresh Blueberry Tart

Here's the best blueberry recipe! I made the crust in my little convection oven outside. To date I have made many meals in it, including baked sweet potatoes, oven fries, sausages, polenta slices, bread, and Piedmont Peppers.

Crust
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350°. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Press dough over bottom and up sides of 9½ -inch tart pan with removable bottom; pierce all over with fork. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool.

Filling
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
6 cups fresh blueberries

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan to blend. Gradually add 2 tablespoons cold water and lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add butter and lemon peel. Add 2 cups berries and mash coarsely. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Fold in remaining 4 cups berries. Transfer to prepared crust and refrigerate until cold.