I am very blessed with a son, who is only one, that is quite happy munching on blueberries in his high chair while I get busy in the kitchen. What else would we be up to on a rainy Monday? With Henry’s supervision, I recreated my mother-in-law’s recipe for zucchini pancakes (placuszki z cukinia). Rather than use zucchini (because Trader Joe’s was out), I used yellow squash and added one of my favorite veggies, carrots, adding both color and a sweet, earthy flavor to the cakes.

You may find this recipe a bit unusual and I did at first, that is until my Polish tutor bought me a cookbook for my birthday and incorporated a cooking program into one of our lessons. Recipes in Poland are much like that in Italy, they are reflective of the cook preparing them. Let your palette be your guide. If you like more garlic, add more. If you don’t like dill, eliminate it.  As for measuring utensils, a spoon can be big or small and a pinch, tiny and insignificant or heavy as you desire. What holds true to this recipe in particular is the technique. The trick is, in order to get a “dry” cake that doesn’t fall apart when you flip it, you must first drain all of the juices from the squash and carrots first. The rest is at your discretion. Don’t be scared; it will all turn out decadently! So, what are you waiting for, let’s get creative in the kitchen! Bon appetite xx

Yellow Squash & Carrot Cakes

2 small Yellow Squash, grated

1 large Carrot, grated

1/2 small Onion, minced

1 Clove Garlic, minced

2 Eggs

2 spoons Greek Yogurt

2 spoons Whole Wheat Flour

Salt

Black Pepper

Pinch Dried Thyme

Pinch Dried Sage

Handful Fresh Parsley, chopped

Handful Fresh Dill, chopped

2 tbsp Olive Oile

Directions

In a large bowl, grate the squash and carrots. Sprinkle salt over top and let stand five minutes before using paper towels to soak up the liquid. Make sure to “dry” the vegetables as much as possible before continuing.

Add onion, garlic, eggs, greek yogurt, flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and dill. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Spoon three cakes into the skillet and allow to cook until golden brown on the bottom and flip and continue to cook until browned.

Serving suggestions:

Top with sour cream, smoked salmon and a sprig of fresh dill or caviar for a brunch extravaganza.

Dollop of guacamole or avocado and yogurt creme, served with sautéed mushroom, an alternative take on avocado toast.

Spoon of fresh ricotta with thin slices of prosciutto marrying a Polish pancake with Italian accoutrements.

Roasted bell pepper coulis and fried sunny-side-up egg and shaved parmesan, making a light summer lunch burst with flavor.