Week 9, Scrambled Pancakes and Summer Latkes

It seemed like a good idea at the time. We'd made this wonderful Swedish Pancake and I'd even pulled off an individual one with whole wheat flour. So what could the harm be in adding an extra egg, so we'd use up the 1 dozen?

Well, let's just say it was matzah brei out of season. Which is nothing you really want in a pancake.


Do you see all that gorgeous fruit and Grade B maple syrup? It NEEDED it, and not in a good way. The mixture would not hold together, it was too heavy to flip, and it was simply impossible to do properly without enormous amounts of butter, much to our WeightWatchers, Inc, mindset's chagrin.

Did I mention we're doing weight watchers? It's actually not that bad. For example, here is the REAL Swedish Pancake Recipe. One serving is equal to 5 points, which means you can make a meal of it, having two servings, all the fruit you desire AND a good tablespoon of maple syrup for 13 points. Dave even went savory with it, doing veg on the side and dipping it in sriracha. He's also slightly crazy, but who am I to judge?

A Swedish Pancake that will NOT turn into a Scrambled Pancake
Adapted from Cooks.com - 10 servings for side dish, 5 for main course

1/2 stick butter (yes, I'm serious.)
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat flour (all purpose is 5 points per serving)
1 cup reduced fat or skim milk
Fruit of choice (As much as you like, zero points.)
1 Tbsp Real Maple Syrup - 3 points. 1 tsp - 1 point.

1. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Scatter remaining butter over bottom of pan. Place in oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

2. Mix together eggs, milk and flour. When oven and pan are preheated, pour mixture into pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy, and edges pull away from sides of pan, golden brown.

3. Serve immediately with fruit and syrup. Share and enjoy and don't feel guilty for a second.

Yeah. It was really good. And, yes. We are both losing weight despite eating a dish that called for 1/2 a stick of butter to start out with.

On to Week 9!

This week, our shares will include: Lettuce, Basil or Sage, Beets, Sweet Onions, Summer Squash/Zucchini, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, "New" Chieftain potatoes (red skin, white flesh, all purpose) and Melon (similar to cantaloupe) or Watermelon. Fruit share will be a 3 lb. bag of Cherries (yeah!) and one dozen eggs will again arrive. 

I am looking forward to the bread share, but I'm not sure if that's starting this week or next. I love to bake bread, as you know, but I figured have the option of NOT baking bread on these 100 degree weeks might not be a bad thing. Plus, for the price, who could say no?

1. Triage: Short Life: Lettuce, Basil or Sage, Tomatoes and Melon (depending on ripeness). Medium Life: Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Melon (depending on ripeness), beet greens, Cherries. Long Life: Sweet Onions. Longest Life: Potatoes, Beets.

My sage from last week is hanging to dry as we speak. I desperately hope I get basil, as that is the herb I do not have in my garden. Besides, basil plus tomato plus fresh mozzarella, real fresh mozzarella, equals heaven. A favorite quick dinner involves all of the above, plus frozen gnocchi from the Nisky Coop.

2. Divide and Conquer: I have written much on beet greens, and remembering to wash them thoroughly before cooking is the best advice I can give. Our beets are steadily being pickled, and that seems to be serving our household well. However, this week, we will be combining them with potatoes to make the latke recipe that Justine suggested in her newsletter, using the potatoes and sweet onions as well, adapting to our family latke recipe. Zucchini and carrots have also been known to be added to latkes, though an additional egg may be needed as binder. I would vote against zucchini in the particular combination, but I think carrots would work well:

Beet and Potato Latkes
Adapted from The Green Market Cookbook, Joan Nathan and Sharon Geller Pellingra, z"l


Well scrubbed new potatoes, skins ON, grated. About 1 bag from Denison Farm share.
2 or 3 beets, peeled, grated
1 sweet onion, coarsely grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup matzo meal Note: will absorb excess moisture - some ground oatmeal would do the same - think meatloaf, if that makes sense.
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
applesauce
plain yogurt or sour cream

1. Using Food Processor or box grater, grate all vegetables. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp salt, allow to drain for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture.

2. Combine vegetables with beaten eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper. Allow to sit while bringing one or two frying pans up to medium high heat.

3. Adding 1 Tbsp at a time, fry the latkes in batches in 1/3 cup scoops, about 5-8 minutes a side. Keep warm in the over, as you would pancakes or french toast, until all are completed.

4. Share and enjoy. Serve with yogurt and applesauce, or as part of Dave's favorite sandwich.

3. Everything in it's Place: I love melon sliced and chilled while soaking in lemon juice and zest. I love watermelon with feta cheese and mint. My Cherry Cake for Ringo Starr remains one of our top posts here on the blog, but it is by no means weight watchers friendly - if you're making it, try it in 9 inch rounds, instead of 9x13. The baking time seems to be too short for that size cake.

Zucchini goes in zucchini bread. Or...

4. Wrap and Store: It gets grated and measured into 2 cup portions and frozen, no blanching needed. It can then be defrosted and combined into latkes, meatloaf, quiche or zucchini bread. It is a most versatile vegetable, and Lord knows, by this time in the season, I am sick of the stuff.

Also to be stored, if you so choose: herbs, dried. Tomatoes, pureed and frozen. Everything else this week is really an eat now kind of food, unless you feel like pickling your watermelon rind, and why wouldn't you?

Share and enjoy, y'all. Let me know how it's going.