Zucchini Pancakes

Growing up, my parents would sometimes grow zucchini in the backyard. And my very favorite thing about growing zucchini would be when my mom would make "zucchini blobs". So when we got our first zucchini of the year from the CSA this past week, I decided to make my kids some zucchini blobs. Though for the sake of not turning people off, I've decided to call these "zucchini pancakes"...that's really what they are, made quite similarly to potato pancakes. But if you have kids, or a weird sense of humor, feel free to call them zucchini blobs. That's what they'll always be to me!



As with all informal family recipes, these quantities are a bit footloose and fancy-free. Feel free to swap and sub and add as you see fit! For example, I keep meaning to experiment with different herbs (feeling adventurous? I was wondering what this would be like with some fresh mint added! Or maybe some basil, or rosemary, or just plain ol' parsley. If you do try adding something, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!) But here's the basic recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium/large zucchini, about 2 cups roughly grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or more, if things seem really soupy after you mix it up)
Scant 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Garlic powder, onion powder to taste (or real finely diced onion and garlic if you're feeling fancy!)
Oil for frying

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil (about 1/8" deep...not too deep, but more than just a splash!) Heat over medium high heat.

Mix together all the other ingredients.

Once the oil is hot, add a spoonful of the zucchini mixture to the oil. Use the back of the spoon to flatten it into a pancake shape. Repeat, leaving a small amount of room between pancakes. Flip after about 1 minute, when the bottom is browned. Fry the other side until brown (about 1 minute), then transfer to a paper towel to drain.

That's it! You can serve these plain, or with some sour cream, or with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or some marinara sauce. However you'd like!