Greek Latkes with Tsatsiki Sauce

These latkes resemble the Southwest Latkes in the way they're prepared but offer a flavor that is uniquely their own.

Ingredients
1 green bell pepper
6 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 28-ounce can fire roasted whole tomatoes, drained, peeled, seeds removed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsly chopped
8 ounces feta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 large eggs, beaten
canola oil, for frying
Tsatsiki Sauce, for serving

Equipment
chef's knife
cutting board
brow paper lunch bag
can opener
large skillet
spatula
brown paper grocery bags
cheese cloth
large bowl
large spoon
dry measuring cups
measuring spoons
2 teaspoons

Directions
1. Over a gas burner, roast the green pepper until black and charred all around. (Alternatively, cut pepper in half. Place cut side down on baking sheet and place under broiler until charred.) Place in a brown paper lunch bag and let steam for at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium neat. Add spinach and cook down. Remove from skillet and allow to cool.
3. Heat skillet again over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and, when oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook until just beginning to soften.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute.
5. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to sweat for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
6. Drain mixture on brown paper grocery bag and put in large bowl.
7. Remove roasted pepper from bag. Remove charred skin, stem, seeds and white membrane. Dice pepper and add to the onions.
8. Squeeze out as much mositure as possible from spinach through a cheese cloth.
9. Roughly chop spinach and add to the onion mixture.
10. When all ingredients are at room temperature, add the tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, oregano, red pepper, salt and black pepper and mix.
11. Add flour and eggs and mix well.
12. Heat 1/4 inch oil in the skillet.
13. Drop mixture by spoonfuls into hot oil, leaving as much of the liquid in the bowl as possible. Cook until golden around the edges. Flip and continue frying for about another 1-2 minutes until cooked through.
14. Drain latkes on brown paper grocery bags.
15. Serve immediately with Tsasiki Sauce.

Yields 2 dozen 2-3-inch latkes

2009 by Allison Lattman