Zucchini Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 large)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
• Black pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for brushing skillet

Directions

Grate zucchini on the largest holes of a grater into a colander and combine well with salt. Let zucchini drain 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Using hands, squeeze as much liquid from zucchini as possible. In a bowl stir together zucchini, onion, egg, bread crumbs, and pepper to taste until combined well.

Lightly brush a 12-inch non-stick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop four 1/8-cup measures of zucchini mixture into skillet and with a spatula flatten into 1/4-inch-thick pancakes. Cook pancakes 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through, transferring pancakes to an ovenproof plate. Keep pancakes warm in oven while making more pancakes in same manner.

• CIDER-GLAZED MINI APPLE MUFFINS
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apple
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider
• 1 large egg
• For cider glaze
• 2 cups unpasteurized apple cider
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease twelve 1/8-cup mini-muffin cups (about 1 3/4 inches across top and 3/4-inch deep).

Lightly toast walnuts and chop fine. Core and peel apple and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a saucepan melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Remove pan from heat. Whisk cider and egg into butter mixture until smooth and add to flour mixture, stirring until combined well. Stir in walnuts and apple. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake 15 minutes, or until golden.

Make glaze while muffins are baking:

In a 2-quart saucepan boil cider 15 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/2 cup, and pour through a sieve lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth to remove sediment. Return cider to cleaned pan and add sugar. Simmer mixture, stirring, until syrupy, about 5 minutes.

While muffins are still warm, with a wooden pick make several holes in top of each muffin. Brush warm glaze over muffins several times until absorbed. Yield: 12 mini-muffins