Zucchini, Potato and Scallion Pancakes with Chived Sour Cream

Makes about 15 pancakes with topping
Total cost: NY $6.81
Cost per pancake: NY $0.45


Now that zucchini season is in full swing, its time to take advantage of how cheap and tasty these veggies are right now. Enter zucchini-based pancakes. They’re a lot like the traditional potato latke, but using zucchini along with the potato gives them more interest, particularly when you also toss in a hefty portion of scallions to boot. These make a great side dish, or if the summer heat has zapped your appetite, make a lovely light supper all on their own. It you know latkes, you’ll probably figure out without me telling you that these can also be paired with applesauce instead of the sour cream and chives, or even with both if that’s how you happen to roll. But sour cream and chives are a classic combination for good reason, and that’s how we prefer to serve these crisp yet tender golden brown and green pancakes.



(UPDATE: We've been Slashfooded! ("Loaded Latkes - Feast Your Eyes")

Ingredients

• 1 large potato (NY $0.89)
• 2 large zucchini (NY $1.78)
• Salt (staple)
• 1 bunch scallions (NY $0.59)
• 2 eggs (NY $0.33)
• ½ cup whole wheat flour* (NY $0.14)
• Pepper (staple)
• 4 tbsps canola or olive oil** (staple)
• 1 cup lowfat sour cream (NY $1.09)
• 1 bunch chives (NY $1.99)

Directions

Clean and scrub, but do not peel, the potato and zucchini. Using a box grater, grate potato and zucchini into a colander and toss with a teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then scoop up about a handful into a clean dishcloth. Wring out over the sink. Place dried grated vegetables into a large bowl. Repeat, switching to a clean dry dishtowel if need be, until you’ve dried all the grated vegetables. You want the potato and zucchini to be pretty dry at this point.


Slice the scallions into ¼ inch slices, and add to grated veggies in bowl. Add the flour, beaten eggs, and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Add in a few extra dashes of salt if you like.


Chop chives and combine with sour cream in a separate bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pick up about a handful of veggie mixture, and shape into a ball in your palm. Smoosh it into a cake by flattening it with your other hand, and add to skillet.


Repeat until you fill the pan, making sure not to crowd your pancakes. Cook about 3 minutes, until the bottoms are golden, and the cakes have set, being careful not to burn the bottoms. Then flip ‘em over, and continue cooking approx. another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Adding more oil to the pan as needed, repeat until all the pancakes are cooked. If not serving immediately, these keep very well in a warm oven. Serve topped with dollops of sour cream and chives.

* You can of course substitute regular flour if that’s what you have/keep on hand. Doing so will
drive the cost down even further, as regular flour is less expensive than whole wheat.

** I’d recommend using canola for this, if you have it. Healthwise, its pretty analagous to olive oil and a good deal cheaper.


Nutritional Facts
Amount Per pancake with topping

Calories 74.9	Sugars 1.2 g	Folate 6.3 %
Total Fat 2.8 g	Protein 2.9 g	Iron 3.7 %
Saturated Fat 1.4 g	Vitamin A 13.9 %	Magnesium 4.8 %
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g	Vitamin B-12 1.9 %	Manganese 6.5 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0.8 g	Vitamin B-6 6.1 %	Niacin 2.6 %
Cholesterol 34.6 mg	Vitamin C 16.4 %	Phosphorus 6.2 %
Sodium 175.0 mg	Vitamin D 0.9 %	Riboflavin 5.5 %
Potassium 266.7 mg	Vitamin E 1.0 %	Selenium 3.8 %
Total Carbohydrate 10.5 g	Calcium 3.9 %	Thiamin 3.5 %
Fiber 1.9 g	Copper 3.7 %	Zinc 2.3 %