It’s mid-summer, so that means there is no shortage of zucchini squash right now. It is growing like crazy, and we plan to have a ton of it for sale at the Litchfield Hills Farmers Market over the next several weeks.
People often get “zucchini fatigue” around now, mostly because sautéing zucchini night after night can get pretty stale after a while. But if all that zucchini you buy or grow ends up in a bland sauté, you are really missing out. Zucchini is a versatile food that can be prepared in a variety of ways. And one of our favorite meals this time of year is a heaping plate full of zucchini fritters!
Zucchini fritters are really easy to make. Here is everything you’ll need to serve some with your dinner this evening:
- 2 large zucchini squash
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup of flour
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
Cut off the two ends of your zucchini, then wash them thoroughly under running water. Then, using a food processor or box grater, completely grate your zucchini into thick, short strips. Place your grated zucchini into a large mixing bowl, and then mix in one teaspoon of salt. Set this mixture aside for about ten to fifteen minutes, so the salt can help draw out some of the moisture.
After the mixture has set, pick up a handful of zucchini at a time, squeeze all of the water you can out of it, and then place each handful into a new mixing bowl. Add the two beaten eggs to this bowl, along with one teaspoon of ground ginger. After you’ve mixed in the eggs, stir in one teaspoon of baking powder, one cup of flour, and ½ teaspoons of salt and ground black pepper. Stir this entire mixture with a large spoon until it is thoroughly combined.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Once the pan and oil are heated, add the zucchini mixture approximately 1½ table spoon at a time. Shape each “blob” of zucchini mixture you add to the pan, so that they are uniformly round and relatively flat; they should resemble a pancake. Sauté each side of your zucchini fritters until they are golden-brown in appearance, about three minutes per side. Add more olive oil to the pan as required.
Once your zucchini fritters are done, they are delicious if you top them off with a
heaping tablespoon of sour cream and grated parmesan cheese. Season them with salt and pepper to taste as well. Zucchini fritters make a terrific pairing alongside roasted chicken breast and sautéed greens, such as the Tuscan kale we grow here.
So take advantage of all the zucchini to make easy, unique meals like these fritters.
Come see us at our stand this Saturday at the Litchfield Hills Farmers Market. We’ll have plenty of zucchini on hand this weekend if you want to try these delicious zucchini fritters for yourself!
Acre of Independence 