Savory Beet Latkes
A great way to use up root vegetables. We recommend using a food processor for shredding.
Ingredients
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 Tb. fresh thyme
2 cups peeled and shredded beets (2-3 medium)
1 cup peeled and shredded celery root (½ small root)
1 cup peeled and shredded carrots (2-3 medium)
1 cup peeled and shredded Idaho or russet potato (1 large)
¼ cup rye or whole wheat flour (holds the raw latkes together)
1 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 5 oz.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tb. Neutral oil such as canola, plus more as needed for frying
Directions
1. Prepare a plate with layers of paper towels to drain the pancakes.
2. Place scallions, thyme, salt, beets, carrots, celery root and potatoes in a large bowl and mix well. Gently squeeze out excess moisture. Scatter flour on top of the vegetable mix and mix.
3. Combine the cheese and egg in a small bowl. Fold into vegetable mixture.
4. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pancake, use a ¼ cup measure to scoop vegetable mixture into the skillet. Flatten gently, using the back of the measuring cup or a spatula, making sure the pancakes don’t touch each other. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes on one side until brown and crisp. Then flip to fry the other side until browned and crisp. Transfer latkes to lined plate to drain.
Excerpted from The Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook. Copyright 2020 by Elisa Spungen Bildner and Robert Bildner. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press. All rights reserved.
Zucchini & Leek Latkes
Popular in Israel for both Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah. From The Katamon Kitchen
Ingredients
4 leeks, washed and sliced
1 tsp olive oil
2 zucchinis, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of chili flakes
salt and pepper
oil for frying
sliced scallions for garnish
sour cream (topping)
Like onions, leeks have many layers and usually a lot of sand in between those layers. Clean leeks by cutting off the root end and the darker green end then slicing the leek lengthwise and then cutting the leeks into half circles. Fill a large bowl with water, place the sliced leeks in the water and swish the leeks around to separate the layers. All of the grit will fall to the bottom and you just have to skim the clean leeks off the top. Place the leeks on a towel to drain before sautéing.
Directions
1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Pour in 1 tsp olive oil. Add the cleaned and drained leeks to the heated oil, add a pinch of salt and sauté for 5-8 minutes until the leeks are slightly soft.
2. While the leeks are cooking, shred the zucchinis. Place the shredded zucchini in a towel and press out the excess moisture. (Don’t skip this step! If there’s too much liquid the patties won’t bind well.)
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sautéed leeks, drained zucchini, garlic, eggs, flour, baking powder, and spices.
4. Add vegetable oil to the same pan you cooked the leeks in and heat over medium heat.
5. When your oil is hot, add heaping spoonfuls of the latke batter to the hot oil and cook the patties about a minute per side.
6. Place the cooked latkes on a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
