GAD ZUKES! THEY'VE RETURNED! And, a New Mystery Quilt Block!

Every year, they return, as we, barricaded in our kitchens, link arms together in an effort to surround and control them....the dreaded zucchinis!

Actually, we love them. It's just that....there are so many of them. And we try so hard to help them to be useful to Mankind.

Here's one of my favorite ways of helping the zucchini to be useful to Mankind:

Italian Zucchini Pancakes

I call these "Italian" because they have Parmesan and Oregano in them. This is an old  recipe given to me by my mother who must have collected it sometime in the 1960's.

It takes some time to bake them, about 2 minutes per side and it's important to let your griddle come all the way back up to temp before beginning a new batch (High heat setting).

My daughter eats these with butter and syrup, sometimes. Lately, she's been putting a new avocado/cilantro salad dressing on them.

My favorite topping is sour cream. Serve these with a salad for a light summer meal. I always make a big batch and freeze them for later. Frozen, 3 minutes in the microwave will make them hot and ready to eat. Yum.

Italian Zucchini Pancakes

(I had 6 medium zucchinis, which made about 6 cups of grated zucchini. Consequently, I made six times the recipe amount given here.)

Beat well:

2 Eggs

2 T. Mayonnaise

Mix together in a large mixing bowl:

1 c. Zucchini, grated and drained*

2 T. Onion, chopped fine

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, grated**

1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour

1/4 t. Oregano Leaves, crushed

1 t. Smoky Paprika (optional)

1 clove Garlic, crushed (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Bake on a hot griddle (400 degrees F.) 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. (You can spray the griddle with non-stick spray but a well-seasoned, coated griddle will work fine without being greased.) Keep warm until all are baked, then serve with your choice of toppings: sour cream, or salad dressing or, Heaven forbid, butter and syrup. Can be frozen up to three months. Keeps 3 days in the refrigerator.

*I put the grated zucchini in a colander lined with 3 layers of paper towels and covered with the same on top. I pressed firmly all over the top until the towels were wet. There's no liquid in this recipe except the eggs, so salting and draining is really not necessary.

**Believe it or not, Kraft Parmesan in the green container works best for this recipe because it's very dry. Fresh Parmesan is too wet.

Now, for the new Mystery Quilt Block: The Whirlwind or Twin Sister

Instructions for making this with a quick and easy trick are included in my Craftsy pattern.