Corn Pancakes with Green Onion and Jalapeno

I bought some lovely, sweet corn at the farmers market last week.  The first night, we grilled all six ears, which is an obscene amount for 2 people.  I wanted the extra corn because I had seen a recipe for Corn and Basil Fritters from Eating Well in the blog montcarte and had been dreaming about it ever since.   She had some issues with the flavor, but I really liked the concept and wanted it to work.  I tinkered with it, omitting the basil, using the grilled corn, and adding jalapeno and scallions.  The tinkering was a success!  They turned out excellent.  With a tomato and avocado salad, they were a super satisfying vegetarian dinner.  I’d even make them in smaller sizes as a little party appetizer.

Corn and Basil Pancakes
loosely adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2-3 large ears, grilled first for about 10-15 minutes if you’d like)
1 small jalapeno, finely minced
6 or so scallions, white and light green parts only, minced.
A few tablespoons of creme fraiche, sour cream, or plain yogurt
A tablespoon of minced fresh chives
Salt and pepper

Directions

Mix together the chives, creme fraiche, and a pinch of salt.  Set aside.

Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in corn, jalapeno, and scallions.

Brush a large nonstick skillet lightly with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking). Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about 1/4 cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide.  Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more.  Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total.  Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

When the cakes are done, serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.