Too much zucchini means you need to try these fritters
I have heard tell of people who have too much zucchini. I have heard tales of people being forced to leave piles on their neighbors' porches or having the terrible problem of being coerced to convert those piles into muffins or bread. This has never happened to me, sadly. If we manage to grow one zucchini, it's sensibly sized and too precious to do anything but savor it. So I'm especially grateful when this summer squash shows up in the farmers' markets. It's fun to hunt out and score different varieties. I especially love the striped ones and the globular, italian zucchini make me outright giggle.
My best trick for zucchini is to make a little zesty oil by sizzling sliced garlic and red pepper flakes together for a few minutes. Drizzle this over slices or cubes on skewers, sprinkle with salt, and grill. Now, that tastes like summer.
If you're one of the lucky ones who can manage to grow an excess, you might try these fritters for a change of pace. They are a good 'now and later' meal. Fry them up perfectly brown and you have a nice lunch or dinner side. Undercook them just a touch and you can cool and freeze and save. To eat from the freezer, put the frozen fritters on a baking sheet in a 375F hot oven and bake a few minutes until they return to crisp.
Potato starch can be found in the bulk or baking aisle. I like to keep it on hand for many reasons. It always lends a quick, crisp coating to ingredients. Toss with tofu for a stir fry, add to potatoes, or use for sauces. For this recipe, you can sub in all purpose flour, but the potato starch will give a bit nicer texture.
Fritters
2 medium size zucchini, about 1 pound
about half of an onion
1 egg
1/2 c. potato starch (or sub in all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
salt, pepper
olive oil
optional: fresh herbs like basil or oregano, chopped finely
Pick your tool for zucchini slicing. A box grater? A mandolin with a julienne blade? A food processor with a grating blade? Any way you do it, turn your zucchini and slice in a way that you get longer strands.
Place the strands in a colander and mix with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Let drain in the sink for about ten minutes.
Grate the onion.
Lay the strands out on a shabby dishcloth. Wrap into a bundle and squeeze (squeeze!) out the extra moisture.
With a fork. mix the now drier strands with the onion, egg, potato starch, baking powder, and about 1/4 tsp. more salt and pepper to taste. Add the herbs, if using.
In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium until sizzling. (Test by placing one little strand in and see if it sizzles immediately.) Dollop as many small fritters into your pan that will fit without touching. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes. Look for crispy, nicely browned sides.
To hold, place in a 200F oven for a few minutes. Serve warm with creamy dill sauce.
Creamy Dill Sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
6 tbls. plain yogurt
1/2 -1 tsp. dried dill
Shake together in a jar. Depending on your yogurt choice, add up 2 tsp. water to thin to a nice consistency.
Readers' note: A couple of winters ago, when we were all stuck at home, I ran a fun "Send me your family recipes and I'll cook them up" challenge. It was a blast to collaborate with you and I enjoyed playing with the submissions. Most recipes I received were baking recipes. Let's try something a little different! Send me your favorite summer picks. I'm looking for those nice stand-bys that don't really even feel like recipes: simple, delicious meals that feature summer's best tastes. Will you share? Reach me at FromScratchKS@gmail.com or on instagram @aawillhoit. I look forward to hearing from you.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Zucchini fritters offer a change of pace for summer's abundance
