I’m sure I have mentioned several times before that I truly love the humble and unassuming zucchini. Because this is, after all, the beginning of my 11th year of terrorizing the internet with my rambling, stream of consciousness style of writing, plus of course my very opinionated thoughts on subjects that have no business being discussed on a cooking site! Anyway, redundant as it may be, I am once again going to unequivocally state that I love zucchini. Fried, baked, spiralized, in bread, you name it. And although I already have a perfectly delightful recipe for Zucchini Pancakes on this site, I can’t help trying other people’s recipes for a dish that is just slightly different.
I found this recipe on the onceuponachef.com site. (I love this site BTW. You should pay it a visit at your earlies convenience.) Of course, I had to mess with Jenn’s recipe just a tiny bit, because I’m simply contrary by nature. (If my parents were still alive, they would concur wholeheartedly, I’m sure.)
Anyway, I made these fritters the other night for dinner, and boy oh boy were these babies yum. I mean really, who doesn’t like a bit of dill and feta cheese in a dish? And then topped with sour cream? Who in their right mind could resist? Not me, that’s for darn sure!
So, if you too are looking for a simple veggie side dish that packs a lot of flavor, this is the recipe for you. I’d provide you with the name of the dish I served with these fritters, but frankly I can’t remember anything about the meal except these tasty treats. The fritters were just that amazing.
Well, it’s Sunday. It’s gloomy outside, but warm and cozy inside. Mr. C. has a rehearsal this afternoon, so I might actually get around to posting 2 recipes today. Because I am so excited to share my latest treasure with you all – Fast and Easy Dinner Rolls. And when I say fast (about 2 hours) and easy (no stand mixer or kneading required), I mean it. Plus, only 4 ingredients required to produce these delectable rolls.
But I must warn you, starting tomorrow I will be up to my eyeballs in getting a meal prepped and prepared for our next JazzVox home concert. This will be the 105th home concert we have hosted, and including Andy and me, there will be 39 people to feed. So, each day I will be stirring, blending, whisking, baking, hacking and slashing veggies, etc. etc. So, if no new posts appear for a week, not to worry. I am fine. Or as fine as any 78-year-old home cook can be when faced with feeding a small army at precisely 1:15 pm on a Sunday afternoon!
(For grins and giggles if you would like to see the menu for next Sunday, proceed to the bottom of this post. Keep in mind, not everyone will be sitting at a table, so no food can be served that requires a knife. And there will be people who are vegetarian to consider. So, in other words, something for everyone!)
And as always, to each and every one of you, peace and love.
10-12 oz. zucchini (after you cut off the ends)
½ tsp. salt
1 lg. egg
1 green onion, minced
1 scant tsp. dried dill
¼ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 sm. garlic clove, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
¼ tsp. baking powder
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary
sour cream, for serving
Grate the zucchini using the large holes on your box grater or the shredding disk with your food processor. Transfer the zucchini to a fine mesh strainer and set it over a bowl. Stir the salt into the zucchini and let it sit for 10 minutes. (Don’t rinse the zucchini.) Wring as much of the excess liquid out of the zucchini as you can with your hands. Then squeeze between paper towels to extract as much residual water as possible. (You should end up with about 1 cup of fairly dry shredded zucchini.)
Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Mix in the zucchini, green onion, dill, feta, garlic, and black pepper. Sprinkle the flour (or corn starch) and baking powder over mixture and stir until well blended.
Heat the olive oil in a very large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Using a #30 (2-tablespoon, teal blue handle) ice cream scoop, drop portions into the pan. Then gently press the batter into 2-inch-wide fritters with a spoon or small spatula.
Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate. Add a bit more oil to the skillet if necessary, then repeat with any remaining batter.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Pass the sour cream.
The menu for our next JazzVox home concert:
Cheddar Pecan Crackers (to munch on while searching for a glass of wine)
Old Fashioned Meatloaf
Veggie Macaroni Salad
Salade de Carottes Râpées (French Grated Carrot Salad)
Romaine Salad Dressed in Asian Vinaigrette
Bread and Butter Pickles
Overnight Soft Herb Rolls
Overnight Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Apple Cake with Spiced and Spiked Cream Cheese Frosting
For more information about these amazing in-home concerts, visit jazzvox.com.