Save on Meats, not so cheap after all.

I'm a total sucker for old school classic comfort food, so I was happy to hear Save-On Meats was re-opening. I had already been there for dinner but my friend hadn't tried it yet so we headed down for lunch. We shared the chocolate shake, tomato soup and biscuit, tuna melt and opened face roast chicken sandwich. It's definitely diner food, no fancy plating but also not as greasy as some joints. We were pretty happy when the bill came, exclaiming "this is SO cheap!". Walking back to the car it took me half a second before I realized my car was no longer there. Actually slightly amused and in aw of my stupidity I realized I parked in a spot that towed after 3:00 pm. I'm pretty sure I was so excited for lunch I plugged the meter and neglected to read the signage around me. A 30 minute walk and we made it to the tow lot. I'm also pretty sure the people working there have never seen a happy customer in their life. In the end I calculated it out to be a $156.00 lunch and a regret that there could've at least been kahlua in that shake.

Farmers Market Inspiration-Sweet Corn Pancakes

Breakfast for dinner? YES! My friend Whit and I made a trip to the Trout Lake Farmers Market because Milan is back. Who's Milan? He's pretty much our version of a rock star, also known as the Tomato Man. If you've ever had his tomatoes or really anything he grows, you know what I'm talking about. Besides Milan there's Reimer's corn patch and for lack of a better description the corn actually tastes like the corniest corn injected with sugar. This stuff is so good you can eat it raw. There is also potatoes from another farm that I wait for all year and the description they have for this one particular variety is "buttery and rich". No lie, you could eat these boiled and mashed and it tastes like a pound of butter has been added to them.

I can't even explain my complete contentment from this meal. Inspired by peak of the season ingredients, we kept things pretty simple. As I took a bite of the sweet corn pancake I realized the cornmeal based batter was really just a vehicle to hold the ridiculously sweet juicy corn.

This was our brainstorming convo: Me: Hmm corn, cornbread? Corn fritters? Corn PANCAKES. Whit: YES. We need a protein. Chicken? Pork? Pork chops? Me: I have bacon and rib eye at home.. potatoes, what should we do with them? Whit: They're so good on their own, smashed and throw some fresh herbs in. Me: YES. Tomatoes, lets do a simple tomato basil salad on top of the pancakes. Whit: YES. I have fresh basil.

This meal was serious summer perfection.

Sweet Corn Pancakes with Tomato Basil Salad

Makes 8-10 pancakes

3 corn on the cob, kernels removed

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

salt and pepper

bacon fat or oil for pan frying

sea salt, Greek yogurt and honey (to serve alongside)

1. Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper

2. Beat egg and add to buttermilk, add this liquid to dry mix. Mix just until incorporated, don't over mix.

3. Fold in corn

4. Heat pan on med-high heat with bacon fat or oil. Use a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

5. Pan fry until golden on each side. Finish with a little sea salt.

15 sungold or cherry tomatoes, quartered

6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Toss together and set aside until ready to serve.