Zucchini Pancakes

a cooling, healthy summer recipe

As all of we gardeners and friends of gardeners know, zucchinis can (and usually do) produce an abundance of fruit. So much that you will inevitably end up with a few big honkers. You would think that it wouldn't be too hard to keep up with these zukes, but, doubters beware! Hence all the zucchini recipes out there.

Here is my favorite zuke recipe. It is great for breakfast, as a healthy and yummy alternative to it's sweet relative, the flour pancake. I have altered a recipe a friend passed on to me a few years back.

Zucchini Pancakes:
makes approximately 9 - 2x2 inch pancakes

3 small zucchinis, or about 1 1/2 cup grated
1 small carrot, grated
1 small tomato, chopped
2 eggs

Mix grated zucchini and carrot in a bowl. Salt it "not too much and not too little," then stir in salt, and let sit for 10 minutes. The salt will pull some of the extra water out of the vegetables and make them better pancakes. Next, squeeze the mixture of it's water, transferring the zuke mixture it to a dry bowl. Add eggs and tomato, stir. Heat a (preferably) cast iron pan on medium heat, like you would for pancakes. Wait until it is hot to add some butter then spoon in the zuke mixture, making the pancakes about 2 inches by 2 inches, or to your desired size. Cook until they are easy to turn over, but not burned. It is a subtle art, but if you make good pancakes, it will be a breeze~!

I served the pancakes with:
cooled rice noodles (spaghetti style)
diced fresh basil
and a mixture of chopped, fresh tomatoes, grapes, and lemon cucumber.
with a drizzle of soy sauce and/or olive oil and perhaps a twist of pepper.

For the Garlic & Onion Lovers~ you can also add garlic and onions to the pancakes, for a yummy flavor, just chop them very small.

Above: the zucchini mixture after adding the eggs and tomatoes, ready to cook!

Above: The zuke pancakes sizzling on the pan. I almost always prefer cast iron pans, especially with higher heat cooking.

The fresh mixture of tomatoes, grapes, and lemon cucumbers that we added to our noodles as a side to the zuke pancakes.

Stella Nurses . . . with a fork?

Expand Your Green Salad Awareness

Salad Toppers- Going Beyond Bacon Bits
from Culinate.com

Some good ideas of how to make that good old green salad more interesting!

Creamy Seafood, Artichoke and Potato Soup: In Season Eating!

I began with the idea of mixing two in season vegetables: potatoes and artichokes. Easy enough. Add a white sauce and some corn, onions and herbs, and viola, yummy garden fresh soup. Day 2: What if I added clams and salmon? Hmmmm. I really like that idea. Like a sweet clam chowder. Here is the yummy recipe:

The Insides:
8 russet potatoes chopped small
4 large artichokes, trim ends (leave 1-2 inch stem)
2 large onions chopped small
4 sprigs of thyme
2 heads of corn, slice kernels off cob
1 can artichoke hearts in water, quartered
3 cans of clams (or fresh!) (about 6 oz per can)
1 fillet of salmon (1 pound) or other seafood of your choice

White Sauce:
4 TBS Butter
4 TBS flour (wheat free or not)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup water

Cook the artichokes in a 5 quart pan with 3 to 3 1/2 quarts of water until they are tender, but firm. Take out and set aside. Chop the hearts to add to the soup bowls. Add thyme sprigs and chopped potatoes to soup pan. Cook for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are well done.

Meanwhile . . . make the White sauce:
melt 4 TBS butter in pan on medium heat, then add 4 TBS flour, while mixing thoroughly. When mixed, add 2 cups of whole milk. Use a whisk to mix the milk, flour and butter. Stir often enough to prevent sticking and burning, adjusting temperature as needed. The mixture will thicken considerably. Add 2 chopped onions and a cup of water, stir and cook until thickened, then add to the large soup pan.

Add the corn kernels, can of artichokes, clams, chopped & de-boned salmon, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until salmon and corn is done, about 5-10 minutes. Cool to eating temperature and serve!

We enjoyed our soup with Jasmine rice and soy sauce.

My Booby Chair

Let me note that this is not my real booby chair, just my dream booby chair from http://freshome.com/tag/chair/page/2/

We have stacks of books on all the tables around my favorite nursing chair. We call it the booby chair. Stella knows to stand by it and yell for me, and I will know just what she wants. I really need to go through those books. Read the books. Return the library books. Recycle the newspapers. Donate the magazines. Shelf my personal books and the kids books. I am being more than a bit ambitious to have so many books next to the booby chair. It's not like Stella is an infant, attached to the boob like a alternate umbilical cord. But. . . those boobies are really my only excuse to sit down, with the kids around, and read my books. I could read on their Nanny Day, but . . . pretty unlikely considering my 'to do' listssss (meaning plural, really plural).

Here is a sample of my reading material

Juicing! yum
Jeanne Rose's Kitchen Cosmetics too much work but interesting stuff
Taking Charge of Your Fertility good idea
Positive Disciple another good idea
Outside Magazine Dec 08 yeah, Michael Phelps
The Passion of the Hausfrau funny and depressing all at the same time
Island County Fair premium List "How to enter the fair list" gotta get my act together!
Bon Appetit Apr 09 more yum
Home Education May/June 09 not ready to think about school, yet
Home Education Jan/Feb 09 ditto
Hobby farms May/Jun 09 wild food foraging could be a good way to save?
Bon Appetit May 09 pasta, yum
Bon Appetit Mar 09 why am I torturing myself? I don't have time for these recipes! Ah, yes... inspiration
No One Cares What You Had for Lunch 100 ideas for your blog see I'm trying... in my case it could say, "No one cares what your kids did today," ha ha.
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs magic is good
Elemental Shaman hmm, lots of writing, haven't gotten to this one yet either
Life After Death, Deepak Chopra always an interesting topic to me
Outside Magazine Nov 09 nice muscular body and fresh fruits on the cover--good combo!

Raspberry pancakes anyone?

The kids really like raspberry pancakes, more than blueberry pancakes. Is it because they are pink? Or is it that fresh-just-picked-from-the-garden flavor? I know they like a little honey on top. How can I resist making them pancakes when they eat them all up and beg for more? I add an extra egg and use olive oil in the batter to make them a little more healthy. We really like the Trader Joe's gluten free pancake mix. I add extra water to make the pancakes really thin on the pan, which the girls love. With more water they become more like crepes. Yum.

Mamas can sure Swim, Bike, Run!

South Whidbey Mamas at "Race the Rock" triathlon. Left to right: Amanda, Molly, Sarah, Candice, and Layna

We all have 2+ kids and managed to find time to train for the triathlon (as well as other races). Running, biking, and swimming became an escape from the grind of daily life: a way to recharge our selves and reclaim our bodies. Training is a great opportunity to get to know other moms away from the kids. A new depth in friendships emerges and continues to grow. Certainly, exercise is also a good excuse to take a break from the kids!

An extra special thanks to the Dads, Grandparents, and Caregivers who supported us by caring for the kids!!

What the *%@@ is going on in Langley?

The 13th annual "Race the Rock" triathlon! The race will start at the public side of Goss Lake at 9AM on Saturday, August 1st. The swim is a 1/2 mile, then athletes run to their bikes and bike a 19.5 mile loop route around Lone Lake Road, Saratoga Road, Brooks Hill Road, Bayview Road, Andreason Road, and through Langley to Langley Road ---> Maxwelton Road ---> Community Park by the High School. The run starts at the park and goes to the soccer fields on Langley Road, follows Langley Road to Maxwelton and ends at the Community Park. The run is 3.8 miles.

I will be doing the running portion of the triathlon. This year I opted to be part of a team, rather than do the entire tri by myself. Next year though... I will do the entire race. See you at the finish line or on the road!