Vegetable Pancake

Instructions

1. If using green garlic, sauté the garlic in a small saucepan or sauté pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water until it is soft and translucent.
2. Combine zucchini and salt in colander and let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze as much water as possible out of the zucchini in small handfuls.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, green garlic (or scallion), herbs, 1 cup haloumi cheese, yogurt, egg, Maras pepper, nigella seed. Mix until the egg is combined. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until combined. Fold in the swiss chard. If the mixture is still really wet, add a little bit more flour.
4. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat. The pan should not be too hot or the haloumi will burn easily. Using a quarter-cup measure, drop some of the zucchini mix into the pan.
5. Flatten each pancake with the back of a spatula. Add one or two more pancakes, depending on the size of the pan. Be sure to have a little room between each pancake if you cook two or more at a time; if you crowd the pan, the pancakes will not brown.
6. Cook each pancake until evenly browned and really hot in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. They are fragile when you flip them over, so use a large spatula to turn them. Wipe the pan in between batches with a paper towel. Repeat until all the pancakes are cooked.
7. Cool the pancakes on a wire rack until you are ready to serve. Reheat the pancakes in the oven or stove top and sprinkle the remaining haloumi over the top.