Zucchini Fritters – The Daring Gourmet
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Delightfully browned and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and positively packed with flavor, these Zucchini Fritters are super easy to make and can be made with all kinds of flavor profiles. A healthy and delicious lunch or dinner, you’ll find yourself making them again and again!
I love all the seasons of the year, but when it comes to gardening summer is especially exciting. As a gardener it’s incredibly rewarding to see all the toil and labor pay off when it’s time to harvest the vegetables and fruits. I grow hundreds of pounds of produce every year for our family to eat fresh, to can and freeze dry, and to give away to friends.
We moved 2000 miles from the West Coast to the East Coast last year, leaving behind a flourishing garden only to have to start over again. Agh! But I tackled it with passion and vigor and it was the first thing I got to work on once we got here, prepping the ground, so that it would be ready for growing this year. The decorating and the kitchen and bathroom remodels could wait (and they did)…healthy food was the priority!
I garden organically and use a no-till method that ensures healthy, microbe-rich soil for nutrition-packed vegetables. We expanded our growing space on our new property to include three massive garden plots and a fruit orchard. Here’s a glimpse of a few of our garden areas.
The harvest this summer is rich and plentiful and the squash is no exception. As any gardener knows, zucchini is a vegetable that just keeps giving and giving…and then keeps giving some more!
One of our favorite ways to eat summer squash is simply to season it with salt and pepper, throw it on the grill, and then drizzle over some flavored herb and garlic oils. Easy, quick, healthy, and delicious!
Another favorite way to prepare zucchini is to make zucchini fritters. Beautifully browned and crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, they’re super yummy!
Zucchini Fritter Flavor Variations
Zucchini takes on whatever flavors you add to it, so these fritters are customizable to a variety of flavor profiles.
Season them with Italian herbs and Parmesan cheese like I have in this recipe. Or incorporate Mexican spices and some queso fresco. Prepare them with our homemade Greek Seasoning and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or Tzatziki Sauce. Add some chopped olives and smoked paprika for a taste of Spain. Or how about a Moroccan flair by adding some finely diced Preserved Lemons and serving with a dollop of Preserved Lemon Cilantro Yogurt Sauce?
The sky’s the limit and you can get as creative as you like!
Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Let’s get started!
The key to getting these Zucchini Fritters nice and crispy is to get as much of the moisture out as possible. To do that you put the shredded zucchini in a bowl and toss it with salt. That will draw the liquid out of the zucchini.
After about 30 minutes you’ll see just how much water those zukes pack in them! Next rinse and drain the shredded zucchini in a colander. Then wring it out as best as you can. Probably the most effective way is to put it in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Just keep squeezing and wringing, wringing and squeezing until it’s as dry as you can get it.
I strongly recommend using fresh herbs for these zucchini fritters. You can change up the selection and the ratio according to what you have available. Add the herbs, onion and garlic to the shredded zucchini.
Add the eggs. Stir it to combine.
Next stir in the flour, Parmesan and spices.
You’ll end up with a very moist – but not sopping wet – mixture.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot drop about 3 heaping tablespoons’ worth of batter per fritter into the skillet and fry on both sides until nicely browned.
Place the fried fritters on a paper towels to drain.
Serve immediately while the fritters are still crispy. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of fresh parsley or other herb for garnish. Serve it with a green salad for a light lunch or with a pasta or grain salad for a more substantial meal.
Enjoy!
For more delicious zucchini recipes be sure to try our:
Zucchini Fritters
Delightfully browned and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and positively packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini , washed and grated and tossed in a bowl with 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian herbs basil, rosemary, oregano, etc
- 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour GF: use gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Oil for frying
Instructions
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Let the grated zucchini tossed with the salt sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse, drain and thoroughly wring out as much liquid as you possibly can (this is key for achieving crispy fritters). One of the most effective methods is to place the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and wring out the liquid.
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Stir in the eggs, onions, garlic and herbs. Stir in the flour, Parmesan and spices.
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Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot drop about 3 heaping tablespoons of batter per fritter in the skillet and fry on both sides until nicely browned. Place the fried fritters on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately while crispy. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of parsley for garnish.Serve it with a green salad for a light lunch or with a pasta or grain salad for a more substantial meal.
Notes
Flavor Variations: See blog post for ideas.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 28, 2015
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