Pancakes! Fritters! Fried vegetables encased in a batter of some kind! I heart them, yes I do.

These dudes are perfect to make when you have a massive zucchini vine that seems to sprout new babies on a daily basis. My zucchini plant only has three leaves right now, since I planted the seeds really late in the season, but yours may not! Even if you have no garden whatsoever, guess what's abundant and cheap at the farmer's market? That's right: zucchini.

Zucchini-chickpea pancakes

chickpea flour
water
zucchini
fresh basil
salt, pepper, paprika
olive oil

First, make a batter with roughly equal amounts of chickpea flour and water--maybe a cup of each. I totally never measure for these, so add more water or more flour if you need it. Aim for the consistency of pancake batter.

Next, cut up your zucchini and basil; I used one and a half medium zucchini and a big handful of basil leaves. You can either grate the zucchini or julienne by hand. If you want to work by hand, I think it's easiest to cut the zucchini lengthwise into three or four slices, then stack and slice on the diagonal. For the basil, just chop roughly.

Mix your zucchini and basil into the batter. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

You want a high proportion of vegetables to batter, so they're just coated. If you have too much vegetable content, add a bit more flour and water; if you have too much batter, add some more zucchini.

Heat up a nonstick or cast iron pan on high. Add a little olive oil and swirl to coat. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, flattening them and filling in any gaps with the back of your spoon. Work a few at a time, so you have space.

When the first sides are browned, flip them over. If your pancakes are really thick, you may want to give them a minute to start browning on the second side, then put a splash of water in the pan, slap on the lid, lower the heat, and let steam for a minute; this way the middle of each is sure to be cooked. Otherwise, just continue to sear, turning the heat down a bit if they start to get over-brown.

As you finish each batch of pancakes, remove them to a plate and cover them with a paper towel, or keep them warm in a low oven, uncovered. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.

These are good on their own, but they're much better with something delicious on top. I had mine with diced tomato and some drops of sriracha sauce, but all kinds of stuff would work. White bean and garlic puree, roasted corn, hummus, baba ghanouj, black bean salsa: whatever.

I made seven 3-inch pancakes and ate them all.