The Third Night: Carrot Latkes

Turns out that you can pretty much shred anything, mix it up with an egg, flour, and baking soda, fry it, and call it a latke.  Which works out well for me because I often have a bunch of carrots slowly turning to mush in my vegetable drawer.  They come in just about every CSA box, and they are a pain to use up by the time the next bunch comes along.  But not tonight, my friends.  Tonight they are getting shredded and fried.

While I don't tend to work carrots into too many dishes, I do have one favorite salad that uses them up when I need a quick and healthy lunch.  Carrots' natural sweetness pairs well with what I think of as the Middle Eastern spice set: cumin, coriander, caraway, and whatever else you might throw into a batch of falafel.

And so, with latke ideas running thing, I attempted to make this salad in a latke form.  I made it up as I went along, adding a bit of this and a bit of that.  The results were outstanding.  I shouldn't be surprised, as the best dishes often come from kitchen experiments.  I know we have five nights to go, but I might declare these the early winners of the week.

Carrot Latkes
Makes about 10 latkes

1/2 lb carrots
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
2 T oatmeal
2 T flour
1 egg
salt
oil, for frying

Grate your carrots using the largest holes in a box grater or your food processor.  Mix in all the dry ingredients, and stir until combined.  Beat egg, and add to the carrot mixture.  Mix well.  Season with salt.

Heat 1/2 an inch of oil in a heavy skillet.  Fry a couple of tablespoons of batter at a time, pressing down with a spatula to flatten.  Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Flip and repeat.