Holland is not only famous for its cheese (Gouda!), but also for its greenhouse vegetables. Here in the States I come across Dutch red peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes quite often. Holland, tomato land…Who would have thought 50 years ago (certainly not my 95 year old Dutch grandma who never ate a raw tomato before she was in her late twenties…). So we created a real Homesick for Holland recipe today: Dutch cheese pancakes with tomatoes and sprouts.But we prepared it our way, with a whole wheat batter, really good cheese and locally grown tomatoes. And yes, we eat our pancakes for lunch or dinner, not so much for breakfast. But if you prefer them for breakfast, feel free to do so.
NB This is the real Dutch pancake out of a pan instead of a puffed one out of the oven, which Americans call a Dutch Pancake.
Serves 4
Action time: 20-25 minutes
7 oz/200 g unbleached white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
1 egg
14 fl oz/400 ml buttermilk or milk
canola oil, for baking
9 oz/250 g good quality melting cheese (like Gouda), sliced (not too thin)
1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved
a large handful of sprouts (like sunflower sprouts)
1. In a bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt, the egg, and the buttermilk or milk until you have a smooth batter. If you use buttermilk, you probably need to add a little water to make it thinner. If you like, you can make the batter ahead and keep it in the fridge until needed.
2. Heat a little oil in a small frying pan. Pour in enough batter to just cover the surface of the pan; spread it around quickly by tilting the pan. The pancake should be a little thicker than a French crepe. Bake the pancake over medium heat until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the pancake with a spatula and turn the heat down to low. Divide some cheese and tomatoes over the pancake, cover the pan and bake gently until the cheese has melted.
3. Put the pancake on a plate and garnish with some sprouts. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper over. Bake three more pancakes in the same way. While baking, you can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 F/100C oven (without the sprouts on top). Drink with milk or buttermilk!
Tip
Of course you can use al kinds of cheese, it doesn’t have to be Dutch necessarily. The pancakes are also good with Italian Taleggio or a sharp Cheddar.