Zucchini Fritters

The zucchini were beginning to pile up from Bryson Farms, so something needed to be done. I do love the organic vegetables delivered to my door once a week. They have been for the most part delicious and the service after some initial doubts on my part has proven worthwhile. But the thing is, I really need to focus on eating vegetables to get through them in the week before another basket arrives. It wasn't so bad in the spring, but now that their harvest is in full swing, the cooler is nearly always filled with two giant bags as well as at least a couple of baskets of tomatoes. There were just too many vegetables filling the fridge. So tonight it was zucchini fritters for dinner.

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe for fritters, I set about making my own version starting with shredding the zucchini using the food processor. After adding a little salt and letting it sit for about 15 minutes Daphne squeezed out the water by hand. To that I added between a third and half a cup of flour, lots of cracked black pepper, a little baking powder, an onion that I also shredded in the food processor and a couple of eggs that were lightly whisked. SK used a couple of scallions, but I didn't have any and that's why I used the onion. I also used probably less flour for the relative amount of zucchini that I had.

Then with a little oil heat the cast iron pan I started to fry them up, a good heaping soup spoonful at a time. Just long enough to get a great brown colour on each side before transferring them to the oven to wait while the next lot went into the pan. They were served with a little Greek yogurt with garlic and lemon. They turned out very well for a number of reasons I think. If you're going to do something similar, I think you need to start with great zucchini. There is little place to hide them behind anything. It goes without saying the Bryson Farms ones were terrific. Also I think you need to be very patient when frying them to get the flavourful brown crust. Too hot and too long and they burn. Too low a temperature and you don't get the caramelization that is that brown colour. So take your time and do it right. Now if I can only find a way to get through all the salad greens that keep arriving I'll be fine. 

Comments

[Jessica]

Same issue with us--we just don't eat that much typical salad. They usually turn to mush by the time I remember they came in the box (around the time the next box arrives with yet more mixed greens). I've got to find more recipes for carrots--the staple for the winter box! Thanks for the idea for the zucchini--I tried to make them resemble french fries for the ketchup loving members of the household. Didn't work out too well. And I ate far too many of them.

[tara]

great timing - I've got giant zucchinis in the garden that need to be used!
Fritters for us this weekend. thanks Craig.