Summer is definitely on its way! I got so many good things from Hollygrove market this week. It was hard to decide what to make with it. If you couldn’t tell from reading previous posts, I have a problem with indecision. No regrets on this decision though, cause these veggie pancakes are so tasty! Mazel Tov!

The seasonal goodies in this recipe are potato, zucchini, and red onion. These will be the base of our latkes.

Get your sweats on or do some stretches because grating these veggies turned out to be a workout. Start with the potatoes. I grated them straight into a bowl of water, so they could soak while I grated the zucchini. Soaking helps strip the potatoes of some of their starch, which produces a crispier latke.

I used a pretty fine grater because I like a flakier pancake. It had nothing to do with the fact that my house only has one size grater. I also chose not to peel the potato because I like the color of the skin, and that’s where almost all the nutrients are.

While the potato soaks, grated away at the zucchini. Seriously, I felt like John Cena by the end of this because of the intense arm workout. Spoiler alert: I don’t exercise as much as I should.

Drain the potato and toss them into a fine mesh sieve with the grated zucchini. Place the sieve inside a large bowl.

As you can see from that picture above, the veggies expel a lot of moisture. This step is to get rid of as much of that as possible to get a crispy cake. One way to do this is to add a generous handful of salt and let the veggies rest for about 30 minutes.

While the vegetables drain, make the sauce for the latkes. I decided to put a healthy twist on a classic and make vegan sour cream.

Start with about 5 ounces of tofu. I used firm only because that’s what I like to eat in other meals, and didn’t want to double up to get silky tofu. If you’re purchasing just for this recipe, use silky tofu. Thanks to my wonderful dad, I have a Vitamix which can turn firm tofu into silky in no time!

Cube up the tofu just because.

Add it to a blender with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.

Let the blender go on a low speed until the mixture is combined and smooth. Set aside.

Since that was easy as pie, there should be more time until the veggies are done soaking. Grab your onion because it just got invited to the party!

Dice the onion. I’m going to go ahead and apologize to your eyes right now.

Now, keep running your knife through the diced pieces until it is finely minced. Think: garlic. Like I said…sorry eyes.

Mix the onion in with the other veggies.

By now they should be well drained, but push down on them with a potato masher or spoon to get rid of more moisture.

Drink the leftover juice. JUST KIDDING! Gotcha. Don’t do that.

Really, dump the veggies onto a paper towel and press down on them with another paper towel. This may seem excessive, but we want these babies dry as can be.

Additionally, please note my princess pink nail polish. I babysit a four-year-old girl and she decided that this was my color.

Transfer the veggies to a bowl and add an egg and two tablespoons of all purpose flour.

Mix to combine and then grate in a bit of parmesan cheese. Oooh baby.

You’re probably thinking, “Um, hello Bug! This recipe said SPICY…what the heck!?” Well, never fear! Dun Dun Duh Dunnnn…

Harissa is a North African chili paste, that has wonderful flavor and color. Try a bit before you add it in, so you can adjust according to your taste. I added a full spoonful.

Mix to combine.

Finally, we’re ready to get cookin’. Heat a quarter cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon about two tablespoons of mixture into the pan. Push down with a fork to flatten into a pancake.

As you can see, I’m not very picky about the shape of my latkes. I think it adds character. You’re welcome to aim for more perfect circles. Or if you have kids, do what I do and use it as a geography game! Hey, that one looks like Australia!

Flip after about two minutes or until the underside is golden brown. Cook for two more minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.

Continue with the rest of the veggie mixture until it is gone. Add more oil as necessary. If the latkes aren’t getting good color or aren’t crisping evenly, it’s probably time for more oil.

Transfer the latkes to a plate, and serve with the vegan sour cream.

Shepen naches! (That is what google says “Enjoy!” is in yiddish.)

 

Veggie Latkes with Vegan Sour Cream

Serves: 3-4

Level: Medium

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, grated

2 medium red potatoes, grated and soaked in water

2 T kosher salt

1 small red onion, finely minced

1 egg

2 T all purpose flour

4 T grated parmesan cheese

1-3 T Harissa paste (season to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

5 oz silky tofu

2 T apple cider vinegar

3 T olive oil

 

Combine zucchini, potatoes, and salt in a fine mesh sieve and let drain for 30 minutes. While the vegetables are draining, combine tofu, vinegar, and oil in a blender. Blend on a low speed until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add onions to vegetable mixture and transfer to a paper towel. Push vegetables with another paper towel to drain further. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the egg, flour, cheese, and harissa.

Heat a quarter cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon 2 tablespoons of mixture into the pan and push with a fork to flatten. Working in batches, cook latkes for two minutes on each side or until brown and crispy. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Serve immediately with sour cream. Enjoy!