Thursday, March 28, 2024 -
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Not your average latkes: Leeks

We’ve been running a poll on our Facebook page asking our fans what other kinds of latkes they’d like to see this year, aside from the traditional potato. So we’ve been busy looking up recipes for latkes featuring all kinds of colorful vegetables, from sweet potatoes to leeks to carrots. Luckily we already had sweet potatoes covered from last year, when we tested a spicy latka recipe from the folks down at Blue Bonnet.

This year we focused on some of the other vegetables, like leeks and carrots, as well as tested a potato based recipe – but with a twist. We’ll be publishing the recipes here throughout this week, so make sure to check back.


We’re starting off with a recipe based around leeks, which was published in last year’s IJN Chanukah edition. These were wonderfully tasty fritters, with a very fresh and lemony flavor, which was unexpected considering we didn’t include any lemon zest in the mix. The inclusion of feta  means you’ll  be celebrating a lesser-known Chanukah tradition – eating dairy. We do this in honor of Judith, who lulled Assyrian General Holofernes into a deep sleep after plying him with cheese and wine, only to then behead him!

Amit's Tel Aviv Leek Patties

Ingredients

  • 4 leeks, white part only & cut into large chunks
  • 12 oz. feta cheese
  • salt
  • pepper
  • dill or parsley, minced (optional)
  • 3 eggs
  • bread crumbs or matza meal
  • oil
  • lemon quarters/lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Cook the leeks in water until partially softened. Squeeze dry of all liquid. Roughly blend with feta cheese in a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs if using. Add eggs and enough breadcrumbs that the mixture looks like chopped liver. Be generous! Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Form patties and fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels. Serve with fresh lemons or drizzle a bit of lemon juice before serving.



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