Root Vegetable Latkes

Our CSA from Open Oak Farm provided us with a great selection of root vegetables. Inspired by my friend Elly's cabbage fritters and various Hanukkah recipes, I decided to experiment with root vegetable latkes.

The key to successful latkes is removing as much liquid from the potatoes as possible, which I did by squeezing them in a kitchen towel. The addition of grated carrots and parsnips helped offset the sogginess, and I used panko to bind the batter together with a little extra crunch. 

You need to be patient with these so that they have a chance to cook through. It's best to distract yourself with other tasks like emptying the dishwasher or preparing other dishes. It's worth the wait. The final pancakes were crispy and flavorful with hints of sweet onion, carrot and parsnip among the potatoes. And they tasted delicous with the last batch of this apple sauce.

Root Vegetable Latkes

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
1 parsnip, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
2 eggs
1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs
plenty of salt and pepper
canola oil for frying


1. In a food processor with a grater attachment or using a box grater, grate the potatoes. Transfer the grated potato to a dishtowel over a strainer.


2. Grate the onion, carrot and parsnip.


3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Fold in the onions, carrots, and parsnips. Wrap the grated potato in the dish towel and twist to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir the potatoes and panko into the batter.


4. Heat a griddle over medium low heat and coat well with canola oil. When the oil is hot enough that a test teaspoon of batter sizzles upon contact, spoon out pancakes of batter with a soup spoon and flatten with a spatula. Cook thoroughly until the first side is crispy and brown, about five minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is also brown and crispy. Eat at once with apple sauce, or keep the latkes warm on a platter in a low oven while you prepare the next batch.