potato latkes.. minus the potatoes... and disguised as pancakes.

it was Chanukah last week, and i am very lucky to have a friend who never fails to draw my attention to the me that never was: that is, the synagogue-visiting finkelstein i should have been... rather than the devout agnostic i've become. i'm always eager to try and channel my jewish potential, especially if the experience ends with a full belly. and i get to take pictures along the way. hence: latke evening!

while the latkes in mind were potato, plans changed when we ended up forgetting to buy the key ingredient. we were also unwilling to purchase some of the exotic(ally overpriced) spices used in the new york times recipe for fear of tarnishing our hard-earned reputation as poor students. however, despite the unsettling amount of substitution going on, these fritters turned out very delicious. which taught me 2 things:

1) you can make anything into a latke.

2) but you'll enjoy it more if it's thinner and not too full of flour.

ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pepper
2 large carrots, grated
1 zucchini, grate
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
olive oil for frying

make the batter by combining flour, baking powder, and salt. in another bowl, whisk the milk, egg, lemon zest, and pepper together. pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until well-blended but still a bit lumpy.

stir in the carrots, zucchini, parsley, and scallions. allow to rest and solidify for about 20 minutes.

fill a saucepan with 1/2 inch of oil oil and line a plate with paper towel. begin working in batches, dropped small balls of the batter into the oil and frying. turn occasionally until they are golden all over. transfer fritters to plate and let towels absorb excess oil. transfer to serving plate for eating. serve with sour cream or a dip like this.