When Brookville Restaurant shuttered in December 2016, Southern food-lovers the town over wept into the last bite of their zucchini short stacks, which had been on the menu since the restaurant’s opening in 2010. The summer dish became Brookville’s bestseller, so chef/owner Harrison Keevil knew he’d need to put it back on the menu at his Belmont grocery, Keevil & Keevil, once the weather turned warm.
It’s a riff on a traditional short stack—three pancakes, butter and syrup—but Keevil’s substituted in some Virginia-specific ingredients, like Caromont Farm goat cheese and zucchini, which is abundant in Virginia summers.
“It is the ultimate play on the sweet, savory and fatty combination that we were so keen on at Brookville,” Keevil says. “The more taste buds we can hit with one dish, the better it will be.” Get yours at Keevil & Keevil this season—or make it at home!
Zucchini Short Stack
4 zucchinis
4 sprigs of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, sliced
4 eggs
1 tbs. salt
1/2 cup flour (substitute fine cornmeal to make gluten-free)
4 tbs. Caromont Farm goat cheese
1/2 cup Virginia maple syrup
Olive oil
Using a box grater, grate all of the zucchinis into a large kitchen towel. Once grated, squeeze as much of the liquid from the zucchini as you can. Put the zucchini and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (can sit overnight if you want to party prep the day before). After at least 30 minutes, portion the batter into 12 equal patties on a sheet tray. Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan over medium/high heat. Coat the pan with olive oil and cook the patties in batches of three until golden brown on each side (three to four minutes). (Chef’s note: Wipe out and re-olive oil the pan between batches.) To plate, stack three pancakes and top them with two tablespoons of syrup and one tablespoon of goat cheese.
To market, to market
It’s no secret that chef Harrison Keevil loves incorporating local food in each of his dishes—Brookville’s promise, after all, was that a majority of its ingredients would be sourced from within 100 miles of Charlottesville—and that’s still true at Keevil & Keevil, especially this time of year when there’s so much in season. In fact, he’s so pro-local, he wants to show how easy it is for you to be, too.
This summer, Keevil’s introduced what he calls “Follow the Chef,” a program that allows you to follow him around the Charlottesville City Market on Saturday morning, meeting vendors, getting to know their products and gaining a better understanding of how and what to choose for your own meals. You’ll even buy ingredients, which later that day, Keevil will turn into a one-off, three-course dinner for you and some friends. It’s $75 to participate (including your groceries). Call 989-7648 to make a reservation.
