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Some years I really embrace zucchini: excitedly embracing the bounty, making sautés, salads, pastas, grilled dishes, and baked goods from the heaps of zucchini coming into my life in early summer.
This year is not one of those years.
After a squirrel demolished our one and only zucchini plant (yes, demolished —we literally watched as he stole the first ripe fruit and climbed a tree with it; then the second fruit, then the third, then the flowers, and finally the leaves…. not something I expected to be so susceptible to wild critter’s attention in our little raised beds), I was left with only a handful of zucchinis each week from my CSA.
And yet, even with only 3-4 lowly zucchinis a week, I couldn’t seem to stay inspired by the summer’s most comically abundant vegetable. All I could seem to do was make zucchini fritters, again and again and again. The recipes differed. If I’m being honest, some could probably be better described as pancakes, but nevertheless, zucchini stirred into batter and fried on my stovetop has been on a constant rotation since zucchini came into our lives a little over a month ago.
The fritter recipe I’m sharing here, which does suggest deep frying, has become (for good reason) our favorite. Serve it alongside a fresh gazpacho (as we did) and call it a complete meal. Enjoy friends and happy most delicious month of the year (until September when it gets even a bit more delicious).
-Lauren
CHEESY ZUCCHINI SWEET CORN PEPPER FRITTERS
Adapted from NYTimes Cooking
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and the first couple of times I did not fry the fritters in so much oil, so let that be a message to you that you do not **need** to use so much oil if you hate heating up scalding hot pans of oil and/or dislike frying your food. I believe in balance and think that a great crispy fried dish here and there is a wonderful thing, but I also understand everyone has different priorities. You could absolutely just add a couple tablespoons of oil to your pan and shallow fry these fritters instead. They will be a little more soggy and a little less crispy, but still absolutely delightful. The flavor is wonderful and the sparkling water really gives them a great rise regardless of the volume of oil used.
Makes 12-14 fritters
Serves 4-6
Takes 1 hour
2 ears sweet corn, husks removed
2 medium zucchini or summer squash, shredded
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup shredded cheese (I love a 60/40 blend of cheddar and mozzarella)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup cold soda water (I used a lemon Klarbrunn)
1 poblano or green pepper, finely chopped
Vegetable oil
Whole fat Greek yogurt
Very quick cherry tomato “salsa”:
1 heaping cup quarter cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Place zucchini and summer squash between towels or paper towels. Press gently to remove liquid and then rest for 20-25 minutes to let drain.
In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil. Add sweet corn and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Rinse under cold water and then remove kernels from the cobs. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and soda water. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until well incorporated and a batter forms. Add corn, pepper, zucchini and summer squash. Stir until well-combined.
In a large pan or skillet, heat an inch of vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Add 1/4 cup portions of batter into the pan (4-5 will probably fit) and press down to flatten slightly. Cook on each side for 2 minutes until golden. Remove to towels to drain the grease. Continue with remaining batter, checking the oil temperature as you go, adjusting the heat to keep it in the range of 300-350 degrees.
In a small bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper to make cherry tomato salsa.
Serve fritters warm with a dollop of yogurt and cherry tomato salsa.