I eyed my coworker, smiling and walking through the youth garden with arm loads of corn. Behind him was a trail of kids with various vegetables. My coworker stopped at our patch and cheerfully said, bring some vegetables, we’re making corn cakes (Yes, I had a déjà vu moment of the children’s book Stone Soup). Like many of the youth that day I had never had a corn cake (I was, however, wise to know it wasn’t cake), but it was something I truly enjoyed making as much as I enjoyed eating. To echo the youth “Yummy”, “Delicious”, and “Man, this is good”!

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Chile powder or cayenne (I bought a spice blend at the farmers market, but these ingredients will work)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
• 1 cup milk