Monday, November 22, 2010

Sweet Potato Parsnip Latkes with Feta and Leeks


Sometimes I give myself ideas by accident. A few weeks ago I was writing an ode/guideline to the classic potato latke for our local paper. I wanted to sing the praises of simplicity, contrasting its potato perfection against all the ridiculous, nouveau-what-have-you variations. So I wrote that my classic potato latke could hold its own against the frou-frou trimmings of a latke with...say... caramelized leeks, hashed parsnips, and... oh, feta and sweet potatoes. I smirked a little. And then I looked at what I wrote. And then I got hungry. Challenge accepted!

These latke won't be mistaken for peasant food, but essentially they're not too far from the model. Sweet potatoes are grated with an equal amount of parsnips, which provide an earthy edge to balance out the sugars. Instead of yellow onions you have sauteed leeks, and briny, creamy feta to provide savory accents. Usually I'm a purist when it comes to potato pancakes, but these fancypants latkes have won me over. I guess the joke's on me.

You can find the recipe over at the most excellent Food52 website (and thanks to Food52's contest for the inspiration to turn that idle threat a reality). Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. Great article in The Oregonian. Thanks. I sent it out to a lot of people and will talk about it on my radio show (Great Taste) Wednesday evening.

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  2. Steve: as a public radio fan, I'm tickled to hear about my food on your airwaves. And happy to do my part to spread the gospel of delicious latkes.

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