Zucchini Pancakes and a Peek into "Crimson Wake"

Generic Zucchini Fritters, since we haven't taken official pictures of this recipe yet. Yours will be crispier!

Abridged, from “Crimson Wake” in Moonlight and Margaritas:

“Is Zak here?” Kana looked around for a sign of him. “Is he okay? Have they taken him for questioning yet?”

Geras shot her a look over his shoulder, putting her duffle and valise down in the hallway beside a door. While his eyes were good-humored, she saw warning there.

“He’s in the shower.” He indicated the bathroom door, where Kana heard running water. “He just got some bad news. Come into the kitchen until he’s out? He’s gonna lose his head when he sees you’re here. I know he broke up with you, the dumbass.”

Kana cleared her throat. “He did, once I was on the ground in London. Do you know what his news was?”

Geras had already returned to his cutting board. Kana suspected he needed something to busy his hands.

“He’s….” Geras swallowed as he looked down at his work, shredding zucchini busily. “I’ll let him tell you. I’m making zucchini pancakes with feta tonight. They’re his favorite. Hoping it’ll cheer him up.”

“You’re a good brother.” Kana quickly assessed him, wondering what Zak had told him. “Why were you so sure I’d come, Geras?”

Geras shredded zucchini efficiently, frowning at his work. “He said he broke up with you to stop you from coming—like you were hellbent on joining us. If some guy broke up with my ass when he was up for war crimes he didn’t commit, especially after five or six years together, I’d be on him like chitin on a roach.”

Despite the dead seriousness of the situation, Kana laughed. “That’s about the size of it, yeah. I’m not here to yell at him. I’m not just leaving him in the worst moment of his life, to sink or swim.” She examined the counter. “Is there anything I can do? I can chop—”

“Zak’ll be out any second.” Geras had his brother’s habit of interrupting to make a point. Sigh… Vantages. “I expect a spirited shouting match, so no chores for you, Honbashi.”

Kana reeled, then heard the shower turn off. The moment it did, Geras shouted.

“ZAK! YOUR EX IS HERE.”

Kana chuffed. “Oh, you’re a tremendous help. Thank you.”

“Rip the bandage off. That’s my philosophy.” Geras winked.

[Liking this story? Check it out in Moonlight and Margaritas, out now on Kindle, Kobo, Apple, and Nook!]

~*~

Geras Vantage looms prominently at the edge of the action as Zak’s older brother in “Crimson Wake” and my upcoming story in Midnight, Mischief, and Mistletoe, “Crimson Bride.” Naturally, he is also an important character in Crimson Tide. Like Zak and Kana, he’s a commissioned officer in the Earth Republic Star Navy—a lieutenant—but unlike our MMC and FMC of the “Crimson” stories, he is no longer deployed to starships in the field of war. He served for years as the third officer, then Executive Officer, of the ERS Skögul, a Valkyrie-class corvette, and fought in multiple wars: all three Praezorian Wars of the early 2150, and he’s served in the front lines against the Kroloch.

It was on the Skögul that Geras discovered a latent talent which would radically shift the direction of his life. Finding himself disliked and in conflict with the command team, he often sought solace and escape by assigning himself (like an ensign) to shifts in the mess. Skögul’s Cookie adored him and began to teach him the nitty-gritties of Star Navy cooking, and Geras started to experiment, using his family’s recipes to bring a Greek and Middle Eastern flair to the ship’s flavors. The ship began to get a reputation for Greek pizza, tray-baked zucchini pancakes, delicious lemony hummus, and “jarlic” tzatziki.

Cookie surprised Geras by recommending him to a position at Command as a CSO trainer. After taking an injury in 2153 that landed him in Indoc for an extended period, Geras was transferred to Hawaii as commanding officer of the CSO-training unit. He is very hands-on, always in the test kitchen inventing and tweaking recipes, several of which have made it into newer versions of the Star Navy Grub Guide. Because he is “congenitally unserious,” he has never progressed past the rank of lieutenant—his “unit” is a small one, after all—and he has never pushed for a promotion either. This has led to the situation where he is now outranked by his own extremely serious baby brother and his sister-in-law. Such is life.

In celebration of the Vantage family and their stories, let’s make Zak’s favorite food and Geras’s star recipe in the Navy Grub Guide: Zucchini Pancakes. Enjoy some musings from the Navy Grub Guide and learn more about the Valkyrie world while you’re here! Like many institutional Republic recipes from the Starship Valkyrie world, this recipe has a vegan base, with optional dairy adds (such as “heritage” feta or tzatziki dolloped on top). Dairy additions are considered a heritage or traditional indulgence, and they would be more common in a private kitchen or on-base as a treat.

~*~

Zucchini Pancakes

Originator: Lt. Geras Vantage, Commanding Officer, Culinary Specialists Training Unit

Makes: 22-25 pancakes

A note on binding agents: The Star Navy does not, as a rule, use eggs or liquid egg as binding agents, particularly in the field. Twenty-first-century humans with their profligate egg-laying factory operations may use one egg in this recipe, in place of potato starch or tapioca flour. You may also grate one floury potato and add it to your zucchini to aid as a binder.

You will need:

1 pound zucchini, grated, salted, and squeezed (to remove moisture)

2 tablespoons tapioca flour OR 2 tablespoons potato starch

3 tablespoons flour

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried mint OR 1 tablespoon fresh mint in ribbons (lacking mint, use parsley)

½ teaspoon dried oregano OR ½ tablespoon fresh chopped oregano (lacking oregano, use marjoram)

1 teaspoon dried dill OR 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (lacking dill… that’s a Food FUBAR)

2 tablespoons “jarlic” or fresh-chopped garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional: 1 cup feta cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pine nuts, mint and cucumber tzatziki for serving (from the Vantage family recipe)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit for you twenty-first-century Americans) or about 200 degrees Celsius. Place a silicone mat on a baking tray, or otherwise line it to avoid sticking.

Grate zucchini (and potato, if you’re using) and combine with 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl. Allow to sit for five minutes, then squeeze. Rinse if desired, especially if you’re using the feta cheese. Pat down with a clean cloth to absorb water.

Combine your other ingredients in another bowl, including the olive oil, then combine with the zucchini to form a batter. If it feels dry, add a drizzle of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste; your salt will vary based on whether you rinsed the zucchini and whether you’re using feta.

Using a Level-3 scoop (a large ice cream scoop will do fine), dollop out the batter on the tray and flatten with the back of the scoop or a spatula (this goes faster with two people). Place your first batch in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. FLIP pancakes, then bake again. Keep a close eye and nose on them! For a crispier pancake, place them under the broiler for the last few minutes of baking.

Let them cool, serve them on the line, and do your absolute best to make tzatziki available! It’s the correct accompaniment. Compliment the mint and garlic with a mint tzatziki, and compliment that zucchini with lots of cucumbers.