Here We Come A Waffling

Last summer in Rolsyn, Washington I visited the farmer’s market quite often.  Just a short walk from where my silver girl was camped, I felt very spoiled and so lucky to have it so close.  From the farm fresh veggies to culinary artisanal delights such as a totally indulgent cheddar cheese spread and fresh baked baguettes, the market was Heaven on earth for any foodie for sure.  In addition there was a darling waffle stand with the sweetest lady making waffles.  I will never forget her summery pink dress, long silver hair braided into a bun on top of her head and her infectious smile that she gave me when my curious self went over to check things out.  There was a small group of young children before me, watching with big eyes as she poured the batter into the waffle iron.

She offered up endless toppings from Nutella to raspberry jam for the sweet varieties and cheddar,  sausage or bacon stuffed waffles for the savory.  When it was our turn, B ordered his with Nutella that we took to enjoy while sitting at a picnic table under a maple tree.

This memory for me is fresh in my mind — as if it just happened.  As summer draws near, we will be taking our silver girl back to Roslyn to enjoy the mountain country life and that special farmers market.  I’m excited to share with you our outdoor adventures that we experience from fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking and swimming in cool mountain lakes.  I also look forward to sharing with you new recipes with ingredients sourced from the market.  I am so looking forward.

Here are two waffle recipes that I would like to share with you  — kind of a homage to the sweet waffle lady I met last summer.  I hope she will be at the market again this year so I can snap a picture of her beautiful self and share with you :)

My waffle iron by Oster deserves front and center seating under my kitchen sink.  It has performed so well all while keeping incredibly clean.  This to me, is a dream quality for a waffle iron as all my irons in the past have resulted in stuck on waffles and were a pain to clean.  This one is excellent — bought him at Target for $20.00.

Hope you are having a lovely Tuesday — thank you for being here :)

xoxo
Monica

PS I have no affiliation with Oster.  I just happen to think this particular Belgain waffle maker is great :)

Dark Chocolate Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Combine with a whisk, flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder into a bowl.
2. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, oil and sour cream and mix until just combined.  Mix until there are no longer large lumps (small lumps are okay).
3. Preheat your waffle iron and meanwhile . . .
4. Set aside the batter for about 10 minutes (while your iron is preheating) allowing the mixture to absorb the wet ingredients — this creates a thick, spoonable batter.
5. Using a silicone basting brush (I use this one), brush both sides of your waffle iron with butter and spoon enough batter onto the iron leaving a 1/2″ between batter and edge of iron.
6. Close the lid and cook until the steam stops escaping from the iron.  Give the waffles a slight tap with a fork and if they feel “soft,” continue cooking until they become “crispy” to the touch with a fork.
7. Serve with hot maple syrup and a generous dusting of powdered sugar and sweet strawberries.  These waffles reminded me of brownies with a crisp top and a soft center.
8. Like my dad always said before every meal, “Bon Appetit” :)

Cornmeal & Sausage Waffles

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coarse cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large turkey sausage patties, fully cooked and chopped up into super small dice
• 1- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1egg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons of honey

Steps:

1. Combine with a whisk, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and crumbled sausage into a bowl.
2. Add the eggs, buttermilk, honey, melted butter and mix until just combined.  Mix until there are no longer large lumps (small lumps are okay).
3. Preheat your waffle iron
4. Set aside the batter for about 10 minutes (while your iron is preheating) allowing the mixture to absorb the wet ingredients — this creates a thick, spoonable batter.
5. Using a silicone basting brush (I use this one), brush both sides of your waffle iron with butter and spoon enough batter onto the iron leaving a 1/2″ between batter and edge of iron.
6. Close the lid and cook until the steam stops escaping from the iron.  When the steam stops, check your waffles and if they are not browned enough, close the lid and continue to cook until they become golden brown.  But keep your eye on them at this point — depending on your waffle iron, they make get golden quickly — or not so quickly.
7. Serve with a fried egg on top and a few dashes (or more) of Sriracha hot sauce and a sprinkling of chives.  B suggested I add some hot maple syrup and to my surprise — it was really delicious!  Savory and sweet at the same time :)
8. Bon Appetit :)

Roslyn Summer Memories: