Buckwheat Pancakes with Seasonal Fruit

Buckwheat is not wheat at all. It is a seed, earthy and slightly tannic, with a nuttiness that tastes of the fields where it grew. In Brittany, they have known this for centuries, folding it into galettes and serving them with cider. Here, we turn it into pancakes and let the season decide what goes on top.

The fruit matters more than the technique. A compote is nothing but fruit cooked gently with a little sweetener until it softens and releases its juice. If your berries are at perfect ripeness, you will need almost nothing. If they are slightly underripe, a few more minutes and a touch more honey will coax them along. Trust what the fruit tells you.

Every meal is a meaningful choice. These pancakes ask very little of you: good buckwheat flour, eggs from a farmer you know, butter that tastes like butter. The rest is patience and attention. The batter rests. The pan heats slowly. The fruit simmers until it smells like summer or autumn or whatever season you are standing in.