Pancakes made from acorn and buckwheat flours cooking in the skillet.

Linda Diane Feldt | contributor

I can say with great certainty that you've never had this exact breakfast. And, it was so good I wanted to share the ingredients and the recipe.

In my experience, the best foods also have a story. Part of the joy of the locavore experience is knowing and telling the story of where the food came from, and how it got to be on your plate. So I'll start with the stories, then leave you with the simple and very adaptable recipe.

Acorn flour pancakes

This is just my second year experiencing acorn flour. The preparation I detailed in a previous blog. The photos that follow may provide further insight into this simple but time consuming process. The result is a dark, soft, cornmeal-like flour that can be used in most recipes that call for flour, but don't rely on gluten to make your baked goods rise. So pancakes, quick breads, thickening, and similar uses are perfect. Acorn flour is usually combined with whole wheat flour, buckwheat, spelt, or whatever you like.

A pile of finished pancakes.

stack of pancakes Linda Diane Feldt | contributor

So the breakfast was inspired by the acorn harvest. My Foraging Friend had a bit of it ready to use. He had cut and shelled the white acorns, made a slurry of the acorn meat, rinsed it a few times, found the tannins to be mostly washed away, dried it in the sun, and then shared it with me. He had harvested acorns from a white oak tree, fewer in tannins than a red or black oak, and a few simple rinses in one day were enough to make the bitter acorns somewhat sweet.

My Foraging Friend drizzling homemade maple syrup on acorn buckwheat pancakes.

pancakes on plate Linda Diane Feldt | contributor

I ground a cup of buckwheat groats in my home flour mill. I've been grinding my own flour for about 30 years now, and really value the fresh taste of fresh stone ground flour whether it is wheat, corn, buckwheat, rye, or other grains. I use a Little Ark Mill, that a friend converted to electric by using the motor form my old washing machine.

Showing a simple board with a groove to hold the acorns, so that many can be cut at once.

cutting acorns Linda Diane Feldt | contributor

I mixed up some eggs a friend had given me in exchange for helping her with her numb hands from a carpal tunnel syndrome-like problem. They were from her own backyard chickens. Also some raw goat milk from a nearby source. I've been using raw milk for about seven years, and recently started using the goat milk as well. It is so very mild and fresh.

What does the inside of an acorn look like?

acorn insides

I also took a bag of wild black raspberries from the freezer and added those to the mix. These were picked at a nearby schoolyard, the beginning of July. The topping was homemade maple syrup from a tree overlooking that same black raspberry patch. I had frozen a bit of the syrup, and have been using it sparingly.

The two of us feasted on acorn/buckwheat pancakes before returning to cutting and shelling more acorns for an hour. And at some point I mentioned that probably no one in Ann Arbor was having the same breakfast we were. Actually, probably no one in Michigan, or even farther away.

This photo shows the split acorns waiting to have the meat removed, popping the meat out of the shell and collecting those pieces, and the bucket of empty shells.

acorn stages Linda Diane Feldt | contributor

It was just that sort of unusual wonderful meal, a perfect start to a day.

Here is my pancake recipe, adapted from Laurel's Kitchen.

Combine 1 cup whole wheat flour (I used acorn flour.) 1 cup buckwheat flour (I used fresh ground flour.) 1/2 teaspoon salt (The gray salt from Morgan and York is my all time favorite.) 2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix together 2 eggs 2 cups fresh milk (I used goat milk.) 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (optional) (I used wild black raspberries.)

Combine wet and dry ingredients, mix so it is uniform.

Have your skillet hot (I prefer cast iron) and add butter. If you prefer you can cook with oil, I cook them in butter and then don't add any later.

Each pancake will use about 1/4 cup of batter.

Cook on one side until you see bubbles and the cooked side of the pancake is browned, then carefully flip over. The second side will cook more quickly. This recipe make about 20 pancakes.

Serve with real maple syrup.

Linda Diane Feldt is a local holistic health practitioner and herbalist. She is also the author of Spinach and Beyond: Loving Life and Dark Green Leafy Vegetables. Upcoming classes include two weed walks and a free talk on Distinguishing Between Nourishing and Medicinal Herbs.