Zan Davies: Storey Cooks Tomato Pancakes

Tomatoes aren’t just for omelets anymore: this savory pancake recipe takes center stage at brunch.

I haven’t made pancakes in a while, but thought these savory tomato pancakes from Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook would be perfect for a weekend brunch on the deck. I found some perfectly ripe tomatoes at the local farm stand (silly me, I forgot to ask what variety they were) and mixed up the batter in no time. In the mood for a pile of bacon, I cooked that first, then followed the pancake recipe to the letter (minus the griddle — I made them in a pan instead).

Breakfast is served!

Author Lawrence Davis-Hollander recommends making chutney or serving them with maple syrup. I went with the maple syrup. What a delicious combo! The tomatoes take on a slightly sweet quality, but only enough to make the flavor stand out. It melded nicely with the syrup and the saltiness of the bacon. With a big glass of OJ, yum! (It would have been even better with mimosas.) — Zan Davies, Director of Marketing and Publicity

Don’t forget: Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook is our Storey Cooks Book Club selection for August. When you share your tomato-themed photos on Instagram with the hashtags #storeycooks and #tomato, you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!  (Full details here.) 

Tomato Pancakes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped drained tomatoes
2 eggs beaten
1-1½ cups milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons light olive or vegetable oil, or butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. Stir together the tomatoes, eggs, 1 cup of the milk, and the oregano.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and stir in the tomato mixture to make a thick batter. If the batter is too thick, add some or all of the remaining milk to achieve a thick, smooth batter that pours slowly from a spoon or pitcher.
4. Grease a griddle with oil and set it over high heat. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and spoon on portions of batter to form pancakes about 4 inches in diameter. Flip the pancakes when the edges are dry (the centers will still be wet), after 3 to 4 minutes. Cook the other side for 3 minutes, until both sides are golden. Keep the first pancakes warm in the oven while you continue making pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve immediately.

Recipe excerpted from Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook © 2010, 2004 by Lawrence Davis-Hollander. All rights reserved.