zucchini pancakes

July 11, 2013 • Nancy Wolfson-Moche

In a small town in northwest Connecticut there is an unwritten decree during July: Lock your car doors or find pounds of zucchini mysteriously occupying the front seat.  Zucchini is now plentiful so it is the perfect time to enjoy these pancakes for breakfast. 

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INgredients

1 medium-large zucchini

2-3 red potatoes

½ small onion, peeled

¼ cup spelt or whole wheat matzo meal

1 small egg, lightly beaten

4-5 oregano leaves

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Grape seed oil for frying (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 pineapple, sliced, as garnish

A few basil leaves (optional)

Process

Wash and trim the zucchini and potato, leaving skin on.

Coarsely grate the zucchini using a box grater or a food processor.

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Coarsely grate the potato and the onion using the same grater.

Be sure to rinse the grater each time you change ingredients.

Transfer the grated zucchini, potato and onion to a colander and squeeze dry. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze again.

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Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl.

Chop the oregano and add to the mix.

Add the matzo meal, egg, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

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In a medium cast iron or stainless steel skillet, heat 2-4 tablespoons of grape seed oil until simmering but not smoking.

Drop packed teaspoons of the zucchini mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon.

Cook the pancakes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on other side, about 1 minute.

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Drain on unbleached brown paper bags.

Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Serve with fresh sliced pineapple and basil (optional).

Note: pineapple is a tropical fruit, so should be eaten sparingly in the northeast. At this time of year, when New England can feel like the Tropics, the juicy, sweet pineapple is a fine complement to these savory pancakes.

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