Veggies, seafood turn pancakes into special meals

Back in those “halcyon” days of the ‘30s, when my folks eked out a living on a tattered shoestring, I never knew we were “poor.”

After all, we had milk, cream and butter from our cow, “Buttercup,” our cellar was full of Mother’s sparkling jars of morel mushrooms, green beans, plums, applesauce and huckleberries from forest and orchard, as well as canned venison from Daddy’s hunting prowess. Such plenty!

Even better were the simple but sumptuous meals cooked by Mom or my grandmas — one of which was generally in residence.

A slab of ham (from poor Inky, my ill-fated peripatetic pig) served with a helping of greens gathered from the edge of the field — usually Lamb’s quarter or pigweed as we called it — and a stack of potato pancakes, made humble fare into food for the gods. Butter and a dab of vinegar on the greens, ham gravy on the patties with a little applesauce on the side — who could possibly ask for more?

Today, pundits are pushing for a simpler way of living, but I, child of the Great Depression, have always lived it. Lucky me, to have a Norwegian mom and grandma, and a German grandma as well, all of whom were superlative cooks-from-scratch (which was how it was back then) and planted within me the seed to always peel my own spuds, chop and grate my own veggies, and never buy packaged foods!

Herewith today, some recipes for patties and pancakes made from veggies and leftovers to make your food on hand stretch to the max. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pancakes

4 medium zucchini

(generous pound)

1/2 cup finely diced red

(or green) bell pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2-3/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons melted butter OR

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste Wash and trim zucchini, paring if thick-skinned. Grate on the medium

holes of a box grater. You should have four cups shredded.

Toss zucchini well with diced peppers and salt, place in a colander and let drain for half an hour or so.

Squeeze mixture with your hands to extract as much liquid as possible, then combine with the eggs, 1/2 cup flour, butter, sage and Parmesan. Taste for seasoning if desired.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

Make 3-inch pancakes, adding more flour if needed to make them hold together better. Oil a large skillet and and cook pancakes over medium heat, turning once, about 4 minutes per side or until just cooked through and lightly browned. Put the first batch on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until remaining batter is used. Serve as soon as possible.

Tip: Try other herbs, such as rosemary or tarragon for a change in taste.

(Fennel or dill goes well with fish).

Salmon is expensive and if you have even a small amount left over from a baked fillet, try this good mealtime entree, needing only a lush salad or coleslaw to make it complete.

Herbed Potato Salmon Cakes

1 cup (about) leftover mashed potatoes

1 or 2 eggs as needed

1 -2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Leftover salmon, flaked

(1 cup or more)

1/3 cup celery, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon crumbled or chopped tarragon

OR minced fennel fronds

Salt and pepper to taste Mash potatoes with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk and test for proper consistency for holding together.

If necessary add another egg, and then the salmon; mix well. If consistency is still try, add another tablespoon of milk. Add celery, garlic, mayo, dry mustard and a dash of lemon juice.

Mix well with hands and make into patties. Fry in olive or canola oil on medium-high heat until brown and crisp (about 3 minutes), turn, pressing patty down with spatula, and fry other side until done, about another 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.

Tip: For a surprise fillip, stir a teaspoon of capers in with the salmon! You may also use well-drained tuna for these patties.

Note: If serving coleslaw with these patties, make it extra nutritious with your choice of chopped up apples, walnuts, or green/red bell peppers.

For an elegant brunch, or a supper that features pork chops or ham, try these delectable go-withs.

Pecan Griddle Cakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped

pecans OR walnuts

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cinnamon or nutmeg

In medium bowl, stir together flour, pecans, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a smaller bowl, beat together applesauce, milk, eggs and butter. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. In buttered skillet, using 1/3-cup measure, cook pancakes over medium-high heat, turning once to brown on both sides.

As with all basic hotcakes, turn when top is filled with bubble holes, then cook other side will steaming stops and a peek at the bottom shows a lovely brown color. Top with a dollop of applesauce sprinkled with a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon, if desired.

(Editor’s note: For many years, Valle Novak has written gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. “Weekend Gardener” and “Country Chef” became renowned for their humor, information and common sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. While she recently retired, she has shared a number of columns to delight her many fans. This is one such columns which ran on Dec. 5, 2021.)