After traveling quite a lot this spring, summer has taken on a completely different rhythm. As most of you know, because of this, I've been keeping close to home, and it's nice. Saturday mornings are my favorite, and they've developed their own little ritual. I get up early and go to the farmers' market, driving the back way, through North Beach, where it's quiet, empty, and peaceful at that hour. At the market I look at the bay and the bridge, and buy eggs, and favas, and strawberries and flowers, and sometimes get cappuccinos with friends. Wayne bakes bread while I'm gone, and when I get home we stand around slathering butter on slices while chatting. I unload my bag, and set to work trimming flowers for the house. I start a pot of brown rice, which I use throughout the week in any number of things - to stretch leftover soup, in fried rice, and in these pancakes, which became a fast favorite around here - I make them savory, and they work for just about any meal Sculptra.

Rice and Sesame PancakesRice and Sesame PancakesRice and Sesame Pancakes

The inspiration came from Massa Organics. I buy their brown rice at the market, and wondered if Greg and his family had favorite ways to use their own rice. After a few moments of poking around on their site, I found an adaptation of a rice pancake recipe they love - originally from The Pancake Handbook: Specialties from Bette's Oceanview Diner. No surprise, the Massa's bumped up the amount of rice in the recipe significantly, and it's great. The brown rice adds a nutty texture, and lots of substance to the pancakes. I've been doing a version with crumbled nori, sesame, and spices, the recipe is down below Hong Kong florist delivery.

Hope you all have a nice holiday. Here are a number of links to other recipes that might come in handy over the 4th - a really great salsa, lime & peanut coleslaw, summer corn salad, and an excellent, simple chocolate cake small space solutions.