Place a colander in a sink. Place the farmer’s cheese in the colander and let drain for 15 minutes. Double a large sheet of paper towels, turn the cheese onto it, enclose it in the towels, and press it to extract more liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine the farmer’s cheese, cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and zest and wheat germ, if using. Beat until the mixture is fairly smooth.

Place a crêpe, darker side up, on a work surface. Place two tablespoons of the filling in the center. To form the blintz, fold the nearest side over to cover the filling, fold the sides toward the center, then fold again to “close” the blintz. Transfer to a dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium until the butter stops foaming. Working in batches, and adding more oil and butter if needed, fry the blintzes seam-side down until golden, about three minutes. Turn and repeat on the second side. Transfer the blintzes to paper towels as they’re cooked. (You can keep them warm in the oven, if necessary.)

Transfer the blintzes to serving plates. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using, and serve with the accompaniment(s) of choice.