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Photo: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Skyler Myers, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:50 minsServings:6Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:50 minsServings:6
Active Time:30 mins
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:50 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:6
Servings:
6
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
Zucchini Has Always Been Part of My Family’s Sukkot Celebrations
In my childhood home outside of New Haven, Connecticut, our sukkah would be piled high with stacks of giant, overgrown zucchini. My father, Ed, kept a large backyard garden plot that produced bushels of tomatoes, basil and the aforementioned squash. My dad single-handedly tended our garden. My little brother Roy and I were too busy with other summer activities like catching caterpillars and maintaining suntans, and my mom, Sara Lee, was definitely a stay-indoors type of gal. Dad disappeared into his suburban jungle every weekend, popping out at the end of the day with a pile of uprooted weeds, a few plump tomatoes and, frequently, a whole lot of squash.
But the all-time favorite height-of-the-season zucchini utilizer was her Zucchini Pancakes. The source of this recipe is unclear. The yellow card is written out in her sloping, fine-point script, annotated only with the words “Recipe Club Favorite,” although I never knew her to join a recipe club. A simple fritter, really, of grated, drained zucchini mixed with a little flour, eggs and fresh herbs, then griddled. I can still visualize them on our blue Arabica plates at the picnic table, next to a grilled lamb chop, perhaps, a just-picked ear of corn and a sliced garden tomato dressed with basil leaves, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil.
I share this recipe as the perfect Sukkot appetizer or side dish to serve to the guests in your sukkah. No vegetable represents the bounty of the family harvest better than the zucchini, and the versatility of the dish is astounding. Mom served them hot or cold, without sauce or further embellishment, to celebrate the simplicity of the squash itself.
I love serving them with a chunky fresh tomato sauce or a creamy avocado ranch, but here I offer a vibrant Middle Eastern accompaniment known in Israel as tatbila sauce. Similar to the Palestinian or Egyptian hot sauce called shatta, this deceptively simple, four-ingredient condiment provides brightness and heat with the golden pancakes, and is also often served with falafel, grilled meats or hummus. I chose this sauce not only for its Levantine heritage, but also for its reliance on the season’s harvest of chile peppers. The lemon juice is a nod to the citron or etrog, a sukkot symbol, along with the lulav (a sheaf of willow, date and myrtle branches tied with a palm leaf), representing once again the bounty of autumn’s harvest. Keep a jar in your fridge to bring a memory of summer’s hot and joyful boredom to your fall celebrations.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients3mediumzucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds total), grated1teaspoonkosher salt, divided6Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped5clovesgarlic, peeled, plus 1 clove, chopped, divided¼cuplemon juice2large eggs¼cupall-purpose flour2tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese2tablespoonschopped fresh chives, parsleyand/orbasilGround pepper to taste2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
3mediumzucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds total), grated
1teaspoonkosher salt, divided
6Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
5clovesgarlic, peeled, plus 1 clove, chopped, divided
¼cuplemon juice
2large eggs
¼cupall-purpose flour
2tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese
2tablespoonschopped fresh chives, parsleyand/orbasil
Ground pepper to taste
2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
DirectionsPlace zucchini in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well. Allow to drain for about 20 minutes.Meanwhile, place chiles and 5 garlic cloves in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; process again. Set aside.Gently squeeze liquid from the zucchini. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, flour, Parmesan, herbs, chopped garlic and pepper to taste.Heat oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a generous 2 tablespoons each, make 6 pancakes in the pan, flattening the batter gently. Cook until golden on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.Serve the pancakes with the sauce.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, September 2023
Directions
Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well. Allow to drain for about 20 minutes.Meanwhile, place chiles and 5 garlic cloves in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; process again. Set aside.Gently squeeze liquid from the zucchini. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, flour, Parmesan, herbs, chopped garlic and pepper to taste.Heat oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a generous 2 tablespoons each, make 6 pancakes in the pan, flattening the batter gently. Cook until golden on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.Serve the pancakes with the sauce.
Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well. Allow to drain for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place chiles and 5 garlic cloves in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; process again. Set aside.
Gently squeeze liquid from the zucchini. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, flour, Parmesan, herbs, chopped garlic and pepper to taste.
Heat oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a generous 2 tablespoons each, make 6 pancakes in the pan, flattening the batter gently. Cook until golden on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve the pancakes with the sauce.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, September 2023
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)117Calories7gFat10gCarbs5gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
