Vegetable Latkes

(adapted from the New York Times)

One of my absolute favorite things is my Aunt Wendy's potato latkes. Oh my Lord. I crave those things. These "vegetable" "latkes" don't really do her justice; that being said, I scarfed just about a whole plate down. The recipe claims that these are a great way to get your daily veggies - maybe your daily veggies with a heart attack. Wow, am I selling these yet? In all seriousness - these were fun to make, yummy, and definitely a do-again.

So:
1 zucchini and a few baby carrots, grated - about 2 1/4 cups
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Ground black pepper
1 egg
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
Olive oil for frying

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a different bowl, mix together the milk, egg, lemon zest, and pepper. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined. It should be a little thicker than cream. Add the carrots, zucchini, and scallions and mix them in, then let them sit 20-30 minutes.

Fill a wide frying pan with 1/2-1 inch of olive oil to deep-fry, or less to shallow-fry, and heat until a small drop of the batter browns immediately. Have paper towels over a sheet of aluminum foil ready for draining the latkes. Drop the battered veggies into the oil in batches using a large spoon. Cook the latkes, flipping occasionally, until they're crispy and golden on both sides. When they're done, transfer them to the paper towels to soak the oil up a bit.

And that's it!