Parsnip Fritters with Yogurt Sauce

Kind of like potato pancakes, only with parsnips. Use spring dug parsnips, and they'll be extra sweet when you fry them up. If you like, make them in a larger size and call them pancakes. Good as a side dish with dinner or brunch.

3 lbs parsnips, peeled, cored, and shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp dried sage
2 Tbsp dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour
3 eggs, beaten
Canola oil for frying
1 cup plain yogurt

Combine the shredded parsnips, onion, sage, parsley, salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl and mix until evenly coated. Pour the egg over the parsnip mixture and stir again until evenly coated.

Heat a little canola oil in a large skillet or two over medium heat. Place spoonfuls of the parsnip mix (1/4 cup or so) into the skillet(s), leaving a bit of space between. Press down with a spatula to flatten them. Cook for 3-4 minutes a side over medium heat. Keep warm in a low oven or covered plate while you cook the rest.

Add a large pinch of salt to the yogurt and whisk until smooth and thinned.

Serve the fritters hot and pass yogurt sauce at the table to drizzle over them.

Serves 5-6.

Carrot-Celeriac-Potato Pancakes

There's pretty much nothing in my fridge but root vegetables right now, and I'll be slowly working through them now that we're back from the holidays. This medley of carrots, celeriac, and potato with shallots and parsley made for a lovely and satisfying combination of flavors.

1 small-medium celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 medium carrots, peeled
2 tsp salt
2 large shallots, minced
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped parsley (frozen is fine; use a bit less)
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
Plain yogurt for topping

Shred the celeriac, potatoes, and carrots (easiest with the grating attachment of a food processor). Place in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle with salt, mix, and let sit for about 15 minutes. Press out excess moisture and transfer to a large bowl.

Stir the shallots, parsley, flour, and pepper into the shredded vegetables until well combined. Add the eggs and stir to coat.

Heat a large skillet (or two) and add a little canola oil. Scoop the vegetable mix into the pans with a large spoon and form pancakes. Press them together so they will hold. Pancakes should be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Fry until crispy on one side, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and fry until crispy on the other side and cooked through in the middle.

Serve hot, topped at the table with plain yogurt.

Serves about 4.

Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes

It was a happy recent discovery to find that Mapleline Farm offers buttermilk in pint containers. Too many times in the past I found myself buying a quart to make some particular recipe, only to watch the rest of it go bad in the fridge. This time, my husband bought a pint in order to use 1/2 cup in a cake; the remaining 1 1/2 cups was just right for a batch of pancakes.

Use any type of frozen or fresh fruit you like in these, depending on the season and what you have on hand. Frozen or fresh blueberries are classic, and with good reason, but other options would be good, too. You can also substitute cornmeal or another type of flour (regular whole wheat, oat flour, buckwheat...) for up to half of the whole wheat pastry flour.

Local whole wheat pastry flour is available from Four Star Farms (sold at Green Fields Market) and Upinngil Farm (sold at the farm store, open year round).

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar (or honey or brown sugar)
1 egg
1 1/2-2 cups buttermilk
1-2 cups frozen blueberries (or other fruit of your choice)
Butter or oil for cooking
Maple syrup for topping
Applesauce for topping (optional)

Preheat your frying pan(s) by placing them on the stove and turning the burner on low while you put the batter together.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the buttermilk. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the blueberries or other fruit.

Turn the heat under your frying pan(s) up to medium. Melt a little butter or heat a little oil, then ladle out the pancake batter. Cook for roughly 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve topped with maple syrup and/or applesauce at the table.

Serves about 4.

Applesauce Pancakes

These are best with a nice, chunky homemade applesauce. I recently made some from a bag of utility apples from Clarkdale Fruit Farms. The pancakes come out tender and soft with a wonderful apple-y flavor.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Optional additions: raisins, walnuts
Butter or oil for cooking

Preheat one or two skillets over low heat while you prepare the batter.

Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, milk, and brown sugar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. If desired, add in optional addition(s).

Cook the pancakes in butter or oil over medium heat, roughly 3 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm under a towel or in a low oven.

Serve with maple syrup.

Serves about four.

Squash Pancakes

Since I've still got a bunch of cooked butternut squash in my fridge, awaiting packaging for the freezer, it was an obvious thing to put into Sunday morning pancakes. I don't know why, but when added to baked goods, squash or pumpkin always seems to have a leavening effect - a particularly nice bonus when combined with whole grain flour.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup cooked winter squash or pumpkin, well mashed or pureed
Butter or oil for cooking
Maple syrup for topping

Preheat one or two large skillets over low heat while you put the batter together (thanks to Mark Bittman for this tip).

Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, brown sugar, and squash or pumpkin and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Cook the pancakes in butter or oil over medium heat, roughly 3 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm under a towel or in a low oven.

Serve with maple syrup.

Serves about four.

Black Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes

We got some black raspberries from Nourse Farms not long ago. I tray froze them, then stashed them in freezer bags for easy use in smoothies and baked goods. In these pancakes they make a great combination with the cornmeal and maple syrup.

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp molasses
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup black raspberries (frozen is fine)
Butter or oil for cooking
Maple syrup for topping

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, molasses, and milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the black raspberries.

Cook the pancakes over medium heat, flipping when the bubbles start to pop on top. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a covered plate or in a low oven while you cook the remainder.

Serve warm, topped with maple syrup at the table.

Serves about 4.

Parsnip Pancakes

Spring is here and the ground is thawed, at least at the lower elevations. And that means spring-dug parsnips are in season! Parsnips have their best, sweetest flavor after a winter in the ground, and these pancakes showcase it. Serve them with dinner (I made them to go alongside roast chicken) or perhaps with brunch in place of hash browns.

7-8 cups peeled and shredded parsnips (woody cores removed if needed)
1 medium onion, minced or shredded
2 Tbsp flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
Butter or canola oil for frying
Optional toppings: applesauce, sour cream, yogurt, creme fraiche

Lightly steam the parsnips (1-2 minutes), then drain and press out some of the extra moisture.

In a large bowl, toss the parsnips with the onion, flour, salt, and cinnamon, then add the eggs and mix until well combined.

Heat some butter or canola oil in a heavy skillet (or two). Spoon parsnip mixture into the pan, flattening to about 1/4-inch thick. Fry over medium heat until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a covered plate or in a low oven while you fry the remainder.

Serve hot. Add optional toppings at the table if desired.

Serves about 6.

Variation: use curry powder or garam masala in place of the cinnamon and top with yogurt, chutney, and/or chopped cilantro.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

I was going to call these Fall Harvest Pancakes, which they more or less are, but it seemed a little odd given that it's February... Anyway, they make lovely use of pumpkin (or winter squash), apples, and maple syrup. Other local ingredients: eggs, milk, wheat - not bad. Yum!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pureed pumpkin (or winter squash)
1/4 cup brown sugar (skip if using very sweet squash)
1/2 cup milk
Applesauce for topping, warmed
Maple syrup for topping

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking sold, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, and milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter will be relatively thick, with a fluffy texture.

Cook the pancakes in oil or butter in a skillet over low-medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven or on plate covered with a towel.

Top with applesauce and maple syrup at the table.

Serves 3-4.

Red, Gold, and Green Cornmeal Pancakes

This weekend we found ourselves overflowing with zucchini. I shredded and froze a bunch of it, but I also made zucchini basil pancakes with several of them (though I substituted parsley for some of the basil as my basil has not fared well with this long string of nights in the 40s). Thinking of savory pancakes reminded me of this recipe, which is full of things now finally in season (like red peppers!).

This is great for brunch or dinner, but I'd think twice about serving it first crack in the morning. Despite the number of jalapeños it's not that spicy--but still.

2 cups fresh corn kernels
3-4 large green jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4-5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced (or a red onion)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
For topping: Good salsa, sour cream

In a large bowl, mix together the corn, jalapenos, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro. Stir in the lime juice and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and milk, then stir in the cornmeal and whole-wheat pastry flour.

Pour the batter mixture over the vegetables and mix well. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Fry pancakes in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through the middle. Keep finished pancakes hot on a covered plate or in a warm oven.

Serve hot, topped with salsa and sour cream.

Serves 3-4.

Zucchini Basil Pancakes

My best using-up-zucchini recipe yet. And tasty to boot! A food processor makes quick work of the shredding.

6 medium zucchinis, shredded
2 1/2 tsp salt (1 tsp + 1 ½ tsp)
10 scallions, green and white parts, in thin rounds
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
4 large eggs, beaten
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
5-6 cups good quality tomato sauce
Optional toppings: Shredded cheddar and/or additional grated Parmesan cheese

Set the shredded zucchini in a colander over the sink, sprinkle lightly with 1 tsp of salt, and let sit for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the scallions, garlic, basil, Parmesan, and flour. Add the beaten eggs and combine thoroughly. Stir in the remaining 2 tsp of salt and the pepper.

Squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini using a towel or your hands. Get out as much as you possibly can (the drier it is, the better the pancakes will hold together). Add to the ingredients in the large bowl and mix well.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet or two. Add the pancake mixture by large spoonfuls, to make pancakes 3-4 inches in diameter. Try to shape the pancakes a bit so they are round and solid, and about 1/2-3/4-inch thick. Fry until golden brown on one side and reasonably solid, about 3-4 minutes; then flip and cook the other side. You may need to add more oil between batches. Keep finished pancakes warm on a covered plate or in the oven while you cook the rest.

Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan while you cook the pancakes.

Serve hot, topped with tomato sauce and, if desired, grated Parmesan or cheddar.

Serves about 4.

Celeriac-Potato Pancakes

This weekend, all I could find for local produce at Green Fields Market was celeriac and turnips. And I don't much like turnips. So I bought some more celeriac. Here's what I did with it last night.

1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 tsp salt
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
Pepper to taste
3 eggs, beaten
4 cubes cilantro from the freezer, thawed (optional)
Plain yogurt for topping
Chutney(s) of your choice for topping

Shred the celeriac, potatoes, and onions (easiest with the grating attachment of a food processor). Place in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle with salt, mix, and let sit for about 15 minutes. Press out excess moisture and transfer to a large bowl.

Stir the garlic, flour, cumin, garam masala (if using), and pepper into the shredded vegetables until well combined. Add the eggs and cilantro and stir to coat.

Heat a large skillet (or two) and add some canola oil. Scoop the celeriac mix into the pans with a large spoon and form pancakes. Press them together so they will hold. Pancakes should be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Fry until crispy on one side, then flip and fry until crispy on the other side and cooked through in the middle.

Serve hot, topped at the table with plain yogurt and/or chutneys of your choice.

Serves 4-6.

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Did you freeze blueberries last summer when they were in season? If so, this is a great way to use them--along with local milk, eggs, and maple syrup, of course. These are a little denser and chewier than standard pancakes, but in a good way.

1 cup milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs, well beaten
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Maple syrup for topping

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and rolled oats. Let soak about 5 minutes.

Stir all the remaining ingredients into the oatmeal and milk and blend well.

Cook the pancakes on a hot, lightly oiled skillet, turning when the top is bubbly. Keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven or on a covered plate until you finish making the rest.

Serve hot with good quality maple syrup.

Serves 2-3.

Variations: Substitute 1 tsp nutmeg for the cinnamon. Also, try chopped fresh apples in place of the blueberries.