Recipe: Pajeon-Style Zucchini Pancake

by Amy Mei Wood

This delicious Korean pancake can be easily made with any vegetables you have on hand and aren't sure what to do with. Traditionally made with stalks of scallions, they can also be made with seafood scattered in the batter. 

This variation stars a vegetable we have been receiving an abundance of in our box: zucchini. You can also add some carrots for color, as well as scallions or chives. Feel free to get creative! 

Recipe

Ingredients: 2 zucchini, sliced into 4" matchsticks 2 carrots, sliced into 4" matchsticks Bundle of chives, cut to match length of other vegetables Nonstick spray Batter:  1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup water 2 eggs 1/2 T salt

 

Instructions: 1.     Make the batter: Whisk the water and flour together until there are no lumps. Beat in the eggs. Add more water to the batter if needed to make it pourable but not runny.  2.     Spray a medium-size pan with nonstick spray and place over medium heat. Dredge a small bundle of zucchini, carrots, and chives in the batter and then arrange side by side in the pan in a square shape, approximately 4" square, keeping them close together in a somewhat single flat layer.  3.     Cover pan with a lid and let fry for about 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and pour a small amount of batter across the vegetables to ensure pancake cooks in one cohesive piece. Continue to fry, uncovered, for another 2-3 minutes, then carefully flip.  4.     Continue to cook both sides of pancake until golden brown all over. Remove from pan and set aside.  5.     Repeat steps 2-4 with remaining vegetables and batter.    Tips & Tricks: Save your scraps! Do more with your scraps than simply throw them in the compost. You can use and reuse the parts of your veggies not immediately edible. Some ideas: - A popular method of dealing with veggie "waste" is cleaning them and then collecting in a bag in your freezer. Save these scraps until you have about a gallon's worth, then simmer a delicious pot of homemade vegetable stock in your slowcooker for fall.  - Save your potato peels and throw them on a baking sheet, roasting at 375 F for thin and crispy chips. - Try your hand at regrowing your own vegetable plant from the tip trimmings! Save your carrot top ends, celery stalk base, and a spare garlic clove. Place in water and keep in sunlight.