Zucchini-Carrot Vegetable Cakes with Dill, Oregano, and Mint
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free Option)
Last week, I hauled steaming-fresh mulch into my garden – 200 pounds, moved in several satisfyingly arm-fatiguing trips. Then I stood in the sun, which fitted itself to my body and slowly, insistently warmed me until I was bare-armed, bare-legged but prudently gloved. I churned up the soil, removed debris, raked the ground flat again, certain muscles rising out of dormancy with the hyacinths. Finally I pressed my knees into the dirt and planted: spinach, lettuce, peas, beets, chard, radishes. Hope made tangible. And heirlooms, every last seed. When I finally put my tools away and dragged myself inside, I thought I’d scored my first dusty tan of the season – until the hot shower sent it funneling down the drain. Ah spring. Such a singular happiness.
That night I really did dream of my little seedlings. In my dreamtime backyard, which had become a forest, I wandered, randomly shoving my hands into thickets of foliage, the brushed-leaf scent so vibrant and sharp that it lingers still. Each time my fingers filled with plump, glowing fruits — corn, peppers, fat spicy radishes full of moisture. And the shades – hot pink, gold bar, emerald and amethyst (just like — go ahead and say it — this prose. I am well aware). It’s possible that I laughed in my sleep (yes, well aware. but it’s still true).
I woke to three inches of snow sheathing the garden. And the wind! It was gone by noon, but still. This weekend, the weatherman is calling for a hard freeze Sunday and another couple of snow showers next week — after a 70-degree-and-sunny Saturday.
I shouldn’t act so indignant. None of us should. Truth is, we’ve barely scratched the surface of spring, at least as far as the calendar is concerned. And I think we forget how radically things have changed in the last two decades. Not long ago, it wasn’t uncommon to get a persistent freeze in April. There’s more than one Easter photo of my siblings and me collecting eggs in the snow. When I really consider it, I mourn the loss of winter as it was – and the implications of that loss.
This isn’t to say that when spring finally arrives, I won’t be shovel-ready for it.
Deprivation is nature’s finest seasoning and I’ve been pulled thin by this terrible ache for the taste of things fresh and green. I long for them the way that octuplets mother must long for silence. The mint has begun to come back in the yard, and I keep checking at the woody base of the oregano for any deer-ear shaped growth. I’m pining for dill and the licorice-mint bite of new basil. Last weekend it felt so close. And then that snow.
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I couldn’t stand it anymore, folks. I broke all the eat-local rules and I went a little crazy. If Spring can’t quite make it to me, then I decided I was going out to find it.
I swooped into my local Asian grocery, where you can buy huge bunches of fresh-ish herbs for negligible amounts of cash. I hit those aisles running and wantonly threw one of everything into my basket. A bunch of dill, two hands of ginger, some fresh peppermint and a large, glorious vase-full of basil. A papaya, an avocado, and a mango. Cilantro, of course, and parsley. Then I went home and figured out what to do with it all.
I ended up with beautiful (but, alas, not photogenic) papaya and mango spring rolls. And these zucchini-carrot vegetable cakes with a little bit of everything stirred in.
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Zucchini-Carrot Cakes with All Sorts of Fresh Herbs and Mint-Dill Pesto
1 lb tofu, pressed
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
the zest of that lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons fresh oregano
3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2-3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/2 zucchini, peeled and grated
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
oil for cooking
In a food processor, combine the tofu, pine nuts, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and half the fresh herbs. Process until the mixture is smooth, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and the other half of the fresh herbs. Add more bread crumbs until you have the consistency of a wet dough. Stir in the zucchini, carrots and bell pepper and gently mix.
At this point you can either bake or pan-cook them in oil. If you want to bake, heat oven to 375. Brush a tray with oil, and set aside. Form the zucchini mix into patties, then coat them with extra bread crumbs. Brush lightly with oil and place them on the tray. Bake until browned and crispy on the outside, about 35 minutes, flipping once or twice for good measure.
If you want them skillet-fried, heat a thin layer of oil in a large pan. When the oil his hot enough that it sizzles when a drop of the batter hits it, place the zucchini patties in the oil and cook, flipping once, until they are browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
Mint-Dill Pesto
2 parts dill to one part mint
Enough oil to make a paste
Salt to taste
A splash of balsamic vinegar
This part is very unscientific — I was just using up the rest of the gorgeous mint and dill. Place your ingredients in a food processor and whirl until you have a thick sauce. Place a dollop on top each zucchini patty and enjoy!
