Part of what makes me feel human and keeps me grounded is cooking and eating well. When things go exceptionally wrong or exceptionally right, it’s the ritual of cooking and eating with people I love that serve as a gentle reminder that external circumstances are only a part of who I am. Cooking and eating connect us to the earth and to tradition. A home to me is a person or place to which I can turn to unburden myself from the day, a safe place where I can put my cares down for the moment and turn to other more immediate needs like nourishing my hunger in a mindful way through a well cooked meal. Eating and cooking, especially with friends or family, is a way for me to weave an unbreakable thread that extends from history and spreads itself in a delicate web to the bellies of all who partake in the event. The people at the table reflect who I am back at me in the best light because I chose them (or in the case of family chose to dine with them). I become a better version of myself around them and the food we cook and eat together.
This past week we visited Vermont, a state well known for its farms and beauty. I spent time with loved ones shucking sweet corn, exchanging ghost stories over a fire, cooking up burgers from the farm next door and fish from the lake over a grill. We shared in all the gifts that late summer in Vermont lavishes upon us from beautiful ripe tomatoes, to purple peppers, sweet corn and blueberries, cherries, local squash, farm fresh eggs and arugula. At night we (I) made s’mores, which I now know how to make from scratch using graham flour and homemade marshmallows (recipe to come). There is something to be said for sitting quietly on a dock and staring at the spiral arm of the galaxy, marveling at shooting stars–looking as deeply into yourself as you are into space, scarily, peacefully and silently for a long time, in the company of people around whom you don’t need to speak or mind the time. They’re doing the same thing. There’s something also to be said for climbing high above the water up a mountain and hiking, pushing yourself further and higher than you have in a long while.
All of this brings me to this wonderful breakfast! You MUST make this. Corn, cherries, waffles? In my travels, I have never seen so much corn. Upstate New York where I grew up and Vermont has it going on! Seriously, what more can you ask for in late summer? Any guest will think you’re a hero when he or she tastes these, but you yourself deserve these waffles. I will hoard these. I could not BELIEVE how good these were and how easy they are to make, even if you don’t have the freshest corn you’ve ever tasted. You’ll need a waffle iron, but aside from this…easy. If you don’t have one, make pancakes out of the batter. You may find that you create a memory in someone that reminds him or her of what it is to be home. And this is priceless.
I finally learned how to manipulate the iron in a way that makes round waffles from a square mold (though I secretly am loving all of you guys who have the heart shaped mold). Who says you can’t fit a round peg in a square hole? Or take a city dweller and make her long for the country.
Cornmeal Buttermilk Waffles adapted from Food52
Ingredients:
For the Waffles
- 1/2 cup flour (white or whole wheat pastry)
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels (cut off the cob)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg, separated
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk (skim or low fat is fine)
- 3/8 cups oil, vegetable or canola
For the cherry syrup
- 1 pound stemmed sweet cherries (about 3 cups)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions:
For the Waffles
Sift together the first six ingredients and set aside. Good cornmeal will have some chunkier bits that won’t go through the sifter; that’s fine, just dump them in. Separate the egg.
Mix together egg yolk, milk, buttermilk, and oil. Add this wet mixture to the dry.
Whip egg white with sugar and vanilla until you have soft peaks.
Gently fold egg whites into the mixture until evenly distributed. Add the corn kernels.
*Note: Not gonna lie here, me being me, I messed up the order of some of these steps. It’s totally fine if you mix the wet ingredients together and then add them to the dry and then mix the whole thing together. It changes the fluffiness a bit, but tastes just as great.
Add batter to preheated waffle iron. To make them round instead of square waffles, spoon the batter into the middle of the iron where all four squares meet and make sure you don’t put enough to fill the squares. Don’t let the photo below from my first very square attempt fool you. Start in the middle. Don’t fill the individual squares. Cook until done.
For the Cherry Syrup
Combine cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir to coat cherries in sugar, and then use a potato masher to squash the cherries and release their juice (this will be easier to do once they have warmed up a bit).
Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Cook at a simmer, adjusting heat as necessary, and cook until cherries are soft and start to break down, about 15 minutes.
Set a strainer over a medium bowl and pour cherry mixture into the strainer. Press down on the solids until all the juice has gone through the strainer. Discard solids and chill the syrup until ready to use. Syrup will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Beautiful post and recipe Amanda. Thanks for the photos of Vermont, they are so dreamy and beautiful. I actually made buttermilk and cornmeal pancakes for the first time last week (I served them with plum compote, cherry season is long gone here), so I can imagine how light and delicious these waffles must be. I just LOVE your addition of fresh sweet corn here! The season is finally upon us here in Northern France, and I went wild at the market and bought way too much (especially since everybody I know around me hates it). So I am on the lookout for all the inspiration I can find and this sounds quite delicious!
Thanks, Darya. I am impressed that you actually bought so much corn. I’m so glad that you made these too! It reminded me of eating corn muffins as a kid. Plum compote is also so perfect as a topping. I hope you enjoy all the wonderful corn!
I’ve never had cornmeal waffles (never thought of the possibility), it makes a lovely colour! I’m glad you had a great time in Vermont. xx
Gracias, Sofia. I was wondering what to do with all of the beautiful corn I see everywhere and it just popped into my head. It’s kind of a Southern classic. Very delicious. 🙂
This is a truly wonderful piece of writing and peak at your visit to the farm. You and I are always on similar wave lengths; perhaps it is to do with our birthdays being days from one another? I was just in Minnesota for a family reunion and spent time on my cousin’s farm in Hagar City. They too had corn for miles and as far as the eyes could see. I am crafting a post about it soon, I think. I am making those waffles, I know – thanks!
Thanks Stacey! Happy Birthday! There is just something so special about summer and corn. I appreciate your comment. It’s not always easy to put these thoughts into words. I can only imagine how beautiful Minnesota must be this time of year. I hope you do make the waffles and certainly would love to see your pics! xo
I really like the look of these waffles, Amanda. I am not usually a fan of waffles but adding cornmeal is very appealing to me and I would probably like these. Adding cherry sauce sounds even better.
Thanks, Jovina. They taste like a corn muffin. If I were in the habit, I’d smear butter all over them. It’s funny, these were trial and error. I didn’t have enough flour for anything else so I thought I’d use cornmeal and I had no milk, but did have buttermilk. They were born of necessity.
the best recipes are made this way.
Beautiful, all.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Beautiful sentiment Amanda. Matched by the beautiful photography and delicious cherry sauce with waffles. Anything with cherries gets my vote. I have a cherry cobbler to post over the next couple of weeks. Great flavour.
Best,
Conor
Thank you, Connor. You gave me the idea for cherry sauce. I had so much extra and I thought of you. Oh man is live a cherry cobbler right now. How lovely. Thx again.
Wow, is it my imagination or have your photography skills amped up? What a collection of gorgeous shots, and I love the one with matching fingernail polish and the shot of juicy syrup. Obviously the waffles sound delicious too!
Thanks so much, sue. Your blog is gorgeous these days too. You did what I’ve been avoiding. You’ll have to tell me how it goes. Cherries just make a lovely subject. They’re like a supermodel. 🙂 hope you’re well.
Oh, no, what have you been avoiding? Eatings lots of hamburgers? 🙂
Lol no. I loved your burger and have been eating lots. I meant getting my own website. I’m so afraid to lose this valuable community.
Love waffles:-) beautiful place.. Looks amazing
Thanks much. 🙂
I can’t quit admiring your photographs in this post. They are so beautiful. Sounds like Vermont is a gorgeous place to visit and you really covered all the wonderful moments I dream about in taking a trip “to the country”. I have never heard of adding corn kernels to waffles. Your lovely bi-colored corn looks perfectly ripe and ready, so fresh and unblemished. I am very inspired to make this for my guys this weekend. And yes, I’ll use my heart shape waffle iron. 🙂 This is a masterpiece post, for sure.
Thanks so much, Seana. I hadn’t heard of adding kernels either, but my favorite corn bread has kernels in it. And this corn is so fresh you can actually eat it raw (I asked). Love the heart shaped waffle iron. Your comments are always so thoughtful. Thank you.
That reminds me of Brittany, where I had waffles from a little waffle truck at the end of the harbour when I was 14. I think I’ve had them twice and that was it …and definitely not beautiful yellow corn ones! That’s something to look forward to 😉
Aw. Love the memory. They have waffle trucks here in nyc and I never get them. I just had a temptation with the corn. It reminded me of corn muffins and butter that I had as a kid in this restaurant called “the pioneer”. I think it’s still there today.
Ha ha – I like it when the old places are still there 🙂
looks so amazing, Amanda. Love what the corn must do to the flavor and texture. Also love your point about city girl and country life. That’s always the dichotomy in my marriage–I’m city mouse and my husband the country one. Not a lot of middle ground, but at least we can learn from each other. So glad you’re able to enjoy both 🙂
I love that you can relate to that. I’m the product of city folk who raised us in the country so I never fit in 100 percent in either environment. I think I need both. Ive managed to get my husband to see the same. He loved these waffles. They’re his new favorite breakfast. Thanks as always!
Yummy!! Eating it now would be the perfect afternoon snack… I would love to 😀
Ha! thank you. Yeah this is one of those dishes you can pick at all day, breakfast, snack, dessert, even make it savory with chicken for dinz. 🙂
Sure it is… I love it for breakfast and afternoon snack 🙂
This combination of flavors sounds so yummy and summery. I’d definitely love to try this, especially the cherry syrup! And that corn looks so beautiful, with its yellow and white kernels. Love this post!
Thank you, Chaya. You always seem to relate to the things I spend a lot of time thinking about. Maybe it’s because we met during a special time of year. The cool part about the cherry syrup is that hit can use it on sweet or savory dishes.
Great post, lovely evocative photos, both of the countryside and the initial shot of the toppled mortar and pestle. You grew up in upstate New York??!! My dad is from Ticonderoga. We used to visit on holidays and in the summer–a long drive from Michigan! But beautiful. I went back a few years ago. Kind of depressing to see what’s happened to the town, despite a natural park makeover of the the area where the paper mill once stood. Ken
Thanks, Ken. Yes, upstate NY is where I spent the first 22 years of my life. My parents are still there (Orange County, NY). My brother is in Albany and we go to Lake George pretty often. Upstate has a bit of a depressing feel overall because industry kind of came and went. Lots of abandoned places. But the natural beauty is unparalleled. And there’s tons of corn. You can really see upstate how the French and British battled it out for control of all of the territories. It makes history real.
Cornmeal waffles and cherry syrup just fantabulous. …
Aw thanks, Chitra. Totally fantabulous.
Beautiful post Amanda. Your photographs of Vermont are gorgeous. I spent a month there the autumn before last at the Vermont Studio Centre – a place I think you’d love. Also love these waffles. I’ve made cornmeal pancakes but never waffles and certainly not with corn kernels as well. Going to try these since I have everything but the cherries on hand. As always – thank you for the beautiful inspiration. xo
Thanks so much. It must be jaw dropping in the fall with all of the foliage. I always appreciate your comments. I hope you love the waffles! I wish I knew you were there. I totally would have dropped by. Eventually 😉 have a great weekend. Xo
We love Vermont! Before the birth of her majesty and when we lived in the City, we used to go skiing there. I have to say we never went during the summer. It looks stunning! I see you find a wonderful way to use those mouthwatering cherries. That syrup screams deliciousness! 🙂
Aw that’s so cool. Well maybe when her majesty gets older you can resume the fun ski trips. It really is a beautiful place. I’d like to go back in the winter one day! Yes, I finally used the cherries up! So delicious 🙂 Thanks as always!
wow! your photos are isane! I love your syrup! I must try to do it myself!:)
Thanks so much! The pits are a little annoying to deal with but it’s so worth it. Thanks for your comment.