Butternut Squash & Potato Pancakes

Fall is in the air (finally) here in north central Florida, and butternut squash with its deep orange color and nutty flavor lends itself nicely to autumnal dinners. These savory pancakes are definitely dinner fare. The original recipe is from the Vegetarian Times. I added an extra egg and the breadcrumbs. The original recipe calls for frying the pancakes in oil. I am addicted to my Cuisinart Griddler, so a set the panini/grill setting to medium-high, put a schmear of butter on each pancake, and grilled them for about 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grated butternut squash (about 1 lb)
2 cups grated potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggS, beaten
3 Tbs unbleached flour
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Ground pepper

Place squash, potatoes, onion and 2 tsp salt in colander. Drain for about 15 minutes, pressing water from vegetables. I highly recommend squeezing the vegetables by hand to remove as much liquid as possible, and maybe even blotting them with a towel.

Preheat panini press or griddle to medium-high.

Transfer vegetables to a mixing bowl and add garlic, sage, nutmeg and egg. Mix well. Add flour, breadcrumbs and pepper, mix again.

Form into patties. They will be a little loose. Place on griddle with a bit of butter on top.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a warm fruit chutney.
Makes about 6 pancakes. (The VT recipe said these quantities would make 20 pancakes. Ours were about 3 inches across.)

Enjoy!