Clotilde Dusoulier's Green Pancakes

All week long, Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate & Zucchini will be sharing recipes from her latest, The French Market Cookbook, answering our questions, and giving away copies of her book to a few lucky readers. With her as our guest editor, we're feeling slightly more French -- and significantly more inspired.

I stumbled upon this dish the year my boyfriend, Maxence, and I drove across the Aveyron, a mountainous and starkly gorgeous region in the heart of France. We stopped in the village of Laguiole, wanting to buy some of the famous artisanal knives that are produced there (and shamelessly counterfeited around the world).

Having parted with a good lump of money for a beautiful set of handmade dinner knives, we found our way into a bustling little restaurant across from the town hall and proceeded to order lunch. I asked about the pascadous listed on the menu and was told they are small pancakes made with sliced Swiss chard leaves. My curiosity was rewarded when the plate appeared and I took a bite from one of the golden, lightly crusted rounds, fluffy and richly green inside.

More: Nicholas loves these pancakes -- and so do his kids.

I make these often now, with Swiss chard or spinach; if I have it, I add sorrell, too. They make for a lovely weeknight dinner paired with a green salad, and they're a welcome brunch item, too.

Green Pancakes (Pascadous)

Serves 4

1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, 2 whole and 2 separated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional)
1/2 cup milk (or unflavored, unsweetened nondairy milk)
8 ounces Swiss chard leaves (save the stalks for another use) or spinach, finely chopped
Olive oil for cooking
Fine sea salt
Black pepper

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by James Ransom