Lots of fritters (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

“Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, pop it in the pan.

Fry the pancake, toss the pancake, catch it if you can.

— Christina Rossetti

In Poland, Fat Thursday came on Feb. 11 — time to eat donuts and fatten up before Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Throughout the British Isles, Shrove Tuesday has become known as Pancake Day.

Many countries celebrate Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with pancakes. This is the same as Mardi Gras, the last opportunity for feasting before the 40-day season of prayer, fasting and giving begins.

This tradition developed during the Middle Ages, when it was necessary to purge the house of meat, eggs, butter and fat in preparation for the time of austerity preceding Easter, which is called Lent. An easy way to use up eggs, butter and cream was to make donuts or pancakes. In other countries, cakes or doughnuts are made from the same ingredients.

For the farm-based economy of the Middle Ages, Lent made a virtue out of necessity. In February, March and April the provisions stored from last year’s harvest — pickled, salted and dried — would run low. So the diet consisted of peas, lentils and fava beans; grain like barley, oats, millet and wheat; nuts like pistachios, walnuts and almonds. Chickens laid few eggs during the dark days of winter. Ewes haven’t yet given birth to lambs. Crops could not be planted until spring, and last year’s root veggies, like beets, carrots, parsnips, leeks and turnips, have been used up during the long winter.

The term Lent originates from the Germanic word for spring — a time of renewal, cleansing, and inventory. The fasting and self-denial are meant to restore simplicity and renew spiritual growth.

Pancakes stack up to a plateful of good eating!

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Mom’s Apple Pancakes

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Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

1 1/2 cups flour (about)

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 medium apples

Oil for frying

Directions:

In a bowl, sift or mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk; continue beating with a rotary beater. Add enough flour until the dough sticks to the beater and falls off in large clumps — about the consistency of yogurt.

Peel, quarter, core and slice the apples. You may want to sprinkle them with a little lemon juice, to prevent browning.

Stir the apple slices into the batter. There should be about equal amounts of apples and batter, so that there’ll be plenty of apples in each pancake and the batter just glues the apples together.

Heat about a tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls — about half a cup per pancake — onto the hot oil. When bubbles form on the top, flip with a spatula to cook the other side. Every stove is a bit different; you don’t want the heat too high, or the middle won’t cook, but you don’t want it too low either. As the oil gets used up, add a little more to the pan

Serve warm, with maple syrup.

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Baked Carrot Fritters

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Ingredients:

8 medium carrots (about 3/4 lb.)

1 cup minced fresh chives

1 cup minced fresh parsley

3 eggs or equivalent flax eggs or part of each

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/3 cups flour (half whole wheat)

1/3 cup almond meal

2 oz. finely grated feta cheese

1 lemon

Directions:

Shred carrots into a large bowl. Stir in chives & parsley.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper; stir into carrots. Stir in flours and feta cheese. Mixture should be sticky.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Form golf-size balls with hands. Arrange on parchment paper and flatten on cookie sheets.

Squirt a little fresh lemon juice over each, being careful to catch the seeds.

Bake in preheated oven until they’re golden brown, 10 – 20 minutes. Flip, squeeze lemon juice on top of each patty and bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

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Quinoa Cakes

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Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups broth, apple cider or broth

1/3 cup minced scallions, white and green parts

1 clove garlic

1 or 2 cups fresh greens (like spinach, arugula or kale) chopped fine

3 medium eggs

1/4 cup flour (I like to use almond or whole wheat)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and liquid; add a little salt if not using broth. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool a bit.

While quinoa cooks, chop or mince scallion, garlic and spinach. Set aside.

Mix the cooked quinoa with the eggs, onion, garlic, minced greens, flour, parmesan, salt and pepper. If dough is too thin, add a little more flour.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and form patties. Cook about 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a spatula to paper towels to drain.

Serves 2 to 3. Serve topped with crumbled feta cheese and/or pesto.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at writeyvona@gmail.com.