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.