For me the best thing about the summer are the farmers markets. I love having all that fresh, locally grown produce right at my fingertips. Here in Boulder, I have been going faithfully every Saturday and Wednesday. I go even if I don’t need to buy anything. I enjoy chatting with the vendors and finding out about their products. The markets are a gift for someone with no place to garden, and for those of use who have no ability with growing things. I have tried doing some gardening before and have not had much success. I would certainly starve very quickly if I had to grow all my own food!
Of course there are always plenty of zucchini to be found this time of the year. While it is no means my favorite vegetable (I find it sort of bland and uninteresting) it is nature’s best supporting player. It plumps up what ever you might add it while adding substance, texture and even some nutrition. And those green flakes are so pretty!
I put some of the season’s bounty to good use in these tasty zucchini feta pancakes. The recipe used two medium sized zucchini, about one pound of the vegetable. The recipe has a number of steps but is easy to make and comes together quickly once you have all the ingredients in order. I liked them better when I used a stronger tasting feta. You will want to use more or less salt depending on the saltiness of the feta you have.
Ingredients
- 4 cups packed, grated zucchini
- 4 large eggs
- 1 heaping cup finely crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup minced scallions
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- freshly grated black pepper
- 1/3 cup flour
- Olive oil, for frying
- Sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Place the zucchini in a fine sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle the zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let the zucchini sit for about 20 minutes and then press as much water out of the zucchini as you can.
- Separate the eggs, taking care not to let any of the yolks spill into the whites. Place the whites into a medium size bowl and set aside.
- Place the zucchini in a larger bowl, and stir in the cheese, scallions, the salt and pepper to taste, and the flour. Stir gently until well mixed.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Don't over beat as they will become dry.
- Using a wide spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the zucchini mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Drop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the pan (my pan fit 3 pancakes) and fry over medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
- Serve while hot with some sour cream.
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