It feels like the first day of Spring. The weather is glorious. The annual tourist migration has started. And the Old Salts have rolled boulders in front of their caves in the fashionable mid-island district.

So it’s time to celebrate, and share a recipe for pancakes. There is nothing fancy about this recipe, and yet it makes perfect pancakes, and is so simple it completely removes the temptation to buy pancake mixes. I found the recipe online several years ago and have made it many times.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

You mix this up and make eight 3-inch pancakes in a big, medium-hot cast iron skillet with canola oil and/or butter. The secret to the recipe is the buttermilk which, if you’re like us, you never have on hand. But that is still an easy remedy. If you take a cup of regular milk (whatever fat content you have in the frig) and add a tablespoon of white vinegar or sour cream to it, stir it well, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, you have buttermilk.