Is it just me, or are there butterflies everywhere?
Maybe it’s butterfly hatching season…. that’s a technical term: butterfly hatching. Obviously.
Exhibit A: On a particularly rough day at work, a butterfly just about the size of my hand fluttered around me showing off its black, yellow and red wings. Absolutely gorgeous.
Exhibit B: Just this morning a butterfly whizzed past my nose as I rode a bike through the Oakland hills. High speed butterflying.
I don’t even need an Exhibit C, I’m tellin’ you… there’s something in the air: butterflies.
So, all of this beautiful fluttering action has lead me to, well… look for a little meaning in all of it.
I know… totally cheese ball, right? It’s just that I feel something in the air. Maybe it’s the change of season, or maybe it’s my sun sign doing God knows what to my moon sign. Who knows? I just feel a flood of change coming my way. I think that’s what all these butterflies are trying to tell me. Change is a’comin’, in more ways than I might already think. That… or it’s just butterfly hatching season. I don’t know.
In other news: I have a fridge full of zucchini and I made zucchini pancakes.
You probably know me well enough by now to understand my lengthy and well documented affection for pancakes.
That being said… these pancakes aren’t the sweet breakfast treat that you might expect from me. Think of them more like a potato pancake… the kind you might top with sour cream or apple sauce. These are the zucchini version of potato pancakes. They’re super easy to throw together and all sorts of fun to eat. I topped mine with a bit of sour cream and sweet paprika. Dinner, made so easy.
Zucchini Pancakes
makes about 18- 20 2-inch pancakes
adapted from Stephanie Gallagher
- 4 cups shredded zucchini (or a combination of shredded zucchini and shredded yellow squash)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- a few dashes of Tabasco
- 1/4 cup onions, finely diced and grilled
- 2 Tbsp. plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Grill diced onions in 2 teaspoons of olive oil until they are slightly browned and set aside.
Place zucchini and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt in a colander. Drain for ten minutes, pressing down with paper towels to push out all the excess water. You can also place shredded zucchini in a very clean dish towel to squeeze out excess water after it has sit with the salt for 10 minutes.
Whisk the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, Tabasco, and eggs together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, garlic, grilled onions and zucchini. Mix until all the ingredients are well-combined.
Place the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drop the zucchini mixture by rounded tablespoons. Flatten gently with a fork. Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Flip and cook another two minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Serve immediately.
Nicole
You got me! I definitely thought a sweet pancake was in our future, but these are a nice savory option. Yum!
Lora
I would plop some greek yogurt with chopped fresh dill on top! Can’t wait to make this.
Kayleigh
I like my zucchini pancakes with cumin and dill and feta. Then I make a cumin scented yogourt (meaning I just put cumin in regular yogourt, lol). Sooo good!
Casey
You know, just so happens I was looking for something to go along with dinner tonight. Found a winner! Thanks, Joy!
Frenchie
I don’t know when you changed your blog’s format, but I absolutely love it. I really enjoy reading your blog all the time, you have such a friendly and warm way of writing and your pictures and recipes are wonderful. I hope you never stop baking and blogging. Thank you.
Deanna
Dang no one gave me zucchini this year! But again these would make a great dinner for my veggie hubby. Thanks for the great ideas.
malgosia
mmhmmm zucchinis! Yeay! Zucchinis are my top vegetable this year – especially those little ones. I will try panckaes for todays dinner. And You know, despite You can already feel the Autumn here in Warsaw (Poland), I have seen two butterflies today :-) Really those flying guys have cheered me up, as saying “don’t worry, there is still some Summer left”.
I don’t know if You have that saying in English, but in Poland when You say that You feel butterflies in your stomach it means that you are in love. Strange, isn’t it?
Indigo
We do have that saying! But, in England anyway, it can also mean that you’re nervous (eg, if you had to perform on stage or something, you might ‘have butterflies’). Though if someone ‘gives you butterflies’ in your stomach it means you’re in love. =]
Jessica
YUM! I have a TON of zucchini to get rid of and you just gave me an excellent idea Joy! Thanks! :)
ABowlOfMush
DELICIOUS!!
Jill in Atlanta
I’ve been getting the “oh no! Not squash again!” from my kids. Our CSA has been full of yellow squash and will be again, today. I will try these pancakes on the boys and see if it goes over. Anything with sour cream must be good! (and thanks Ally, I’ll do bread too. I’d been sticking with sautes or squash casserole things, but we clearly need some more variety.)
And, it is butterfly migration season starting. The generation that has just hatched will live 9 months to migrate to Mexico and back in the spring. Following generations will each live a few weeks until the last one in the fall that does this all again. Pretty cool stuff.
Jen @ MaplenCornbread
Ive not seen ONE butterfly since I left home…Canada…almost 4 years ago. It seems there arent any around here? strange.
Now these zucchini pancakes…look..AMAZING! Great for brunch or dinner! I love your plate too :)
Amy
At my local zoo, they have an actual butterfly exhibit that runs from June through Labor Day, and let me tell you – it is SO awesome. Butterflies of all sizes and colors, fluttering about, and they land you. A season pass is worth purchasing just so you can see this exhibit as many times as possible.
Now, about these zucchini pancakes? They are so reminiscent of zucchini potato latkes my mom used to make once a year when I was growing up. YUMMY. Now I’m homesick!
Samantha
I love a potato pancake and CAN NOT wait to try these!
One question about the baking powder: I can’t find it in Italy, could I leave it out or sub in baking soda or something else? Thanks!
Ally
Oooh Joy – there’s something going on with zucchini’s too! I just made zucchini bread a couple of days ago – now I’ll have to try the pancakes!