Mediterranean Latkes (savory Pancakes)

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 garlic clove, minced very fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, minced
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups packed grated zucchini
• 2 cups packed grated sweet potatoes
• 1 large onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 cup rye flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour
• oil (for frying)

Recipe

• 1 whiz together all sauce ingredients in a mini-blender and pour into a small crock; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• 2 bring 3 cups water to the boil in a small saucepan; add brown rice and boil for 30 minutes; add lentils and boil for 20 minutes longer (the mixture will look like porridge); allow to cool (mixture will thicken as it cools).
• 3 put minced onion, grated sweet potato and zucchini into a colander and toss with 1 tsp salt; allow to drain for ½ an hour; after half an hour, take handfuls of the vegetable mixture and squeeze as much water out as you can from it.
• 4 place it into a large bowl as you squeeze it dry; add cooled rice/lentil mixture, minced garlic, cheeses, parsley, dill, mint, egg and rye flour; with hands combine very well so that everything is evenly distributed; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying.
• 5 pour enough oil (i used olive) into a large, non-stick skillet to come ¾ of an inch up sides of pan; heat over medium-high heat until small amount of latke mixture put in will immediately come to the surface and fry fairly briskly.
• 6 take about 2 tbsp of latke mixture at a time, shape into a patty that is about 3 inches in diameter and ½ an inch thick; fry 4-5 minutes; after 4-5 minutes, gently turn patty over and fry other side; as patties turn a deep golden-brown, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• 7 repeat with remaining latke mixture until all the patties have been fried.
• 8 serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce.