almond and coconut pancakes

it's been a foodie bank holiday in N1.

i have damsons and chilli behind my fingernails and i probably smell of garlic a little. every kitchen surface is covered by vegetables - there are small, orange and green harlequin squashes lined up against the wall, muddy baby beetroots with leaves still attached, a paper bag full of baby plum tomatoes, and two melons slowly turning orange and perfumed on the windowsill. the fridge is full of jars of sauces: rocket and basil pesto in clear tubs, damson dipping sauce with garlic, damson puree to be stirred into creamy turkish yoghurt, olives marinating in spices since last week. there were almond and coconut pancakes with plums fried in butter, there was a roast pork belly and cured ham and chorizo. we went to the farmers' market and the local greengrocer, had a chat with the butcher about football and walked up to la fromagerie in N5. and, of course, there was a trip to the loft.

i might get around to posting a few recipes of dishes we ate but, for a starter, here is a holiday brunch treat: coconut and almond pancakes. they are an amalgamation of various recipes collected from primal blogs. it seem that most people go for either the almond or the coconut variety but i thought it would be nice to combine both. i am sure someone else has thought of that already - it does seem the obvious thing to do.

these are obviously a bit heavier than your normal american pancake. i am not sure if my palate has changed but, to me, they taste no worse than those.

we ate ours with plums fried in butter and a dollop of creme fraiche - i know, it sounds like a fat-phobe's nightmare - just fry some plum halves in a hot butter until soft and caramelised.

PANCAKES
makes around 8 or 9

2 large eggs
1 cup of almond flour
1/4 cup of coconut milk plus more if required
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
2tbs dessicated coconut
a pinch of cinnamon
a dash of vanilla essence
coconut oil to fry

just mix all the ingredients together - easily done by hand. check the consistency of your batter - if it's not wet enough, add a bit more coconut milk. i can't really tell you how i know it's the right consistency but when i first mixed it, it was a bit like a hardcore bowl of porridge. you want it wetter than that.

heat the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat. when hot, drop generous spoonfuls of the batter making sure there's enough space between them as they spread a little. fry on one side until bubbles appear and the underside is golden brown, then turn and fry on the other side until cooked through - probably 3-4 minutes.