Ann and I always meet at the coffee shop. There, our toddlers used to puzzle over Traffic Jam. There, our husbands used to argue over the news. It’s where we slouched, years ago, when I told her we were moving. When I’m back in town we still meet at the coffee shop, and this time she told me she was moving too.
We split a scone. It was gritty. That’s buckwheat, cousin to tart rhubarb and bitter sorrel. It grows in tough conditions – poor soil, tight spaces, steep cliffs. It has the texture of dry sand and the color of wet sand. It’s strangely satisfying.
We talked about the moves, the husbands, the toddlers now negotiating real traffic jams. We broke off bites of buckwheat but left the scone’s crown of raspberry jam. Maybe next time we’ll feel like something sweet.
Buckwheat Scones
Prep: 25 minutes. Bake: 20 minutes. Makes: About 12
3/4 cup rolled oats
6 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
About 1/2 cup heavy cream
To finish:
Raspberry jam
Heavy cream
Sugar
Buzz: Measure 6 tablespoons of the oats and the sugar into the food processor. Buzz, reducing oats to crumbs. Measure in buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, orange zest, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Pulse once or twice to combine.
