Summer Squash #2: Zucchini Fritters

Finally, this was a Zucchini recipe that I really liked ( I’ve made it with all the summer squash from the past two weeks. This is from _Cook with Jamie_ by Jamie Oliver (which I borrowed from the library, and am completely in love with right now).

Zucchini fritters

4 large zucchini
1 large egg
1 tsp white pepper
1 heaped Tbsp flour
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
A bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
1 lemon, zested and quartered
A good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt
Olive oil
½ tsp cumin

This is a little recipe I made up recently. I wasn’t sure if it would work but it did and I was really pleased with the results. If you cook them correctly, you’ll be rewarded with a lovely mixture of golden, crunchy zucchini on the outside and soft, fresh zucchini in the middle. I love to eat them on the own as nibbles, or as part of an antipasti selection with some feta chees and a plate of nice ripe tomatoes, or next to some grilled pork, chicken or fish. Delicious summertime cooking!

Remove the ends from the zucchini and cut them lengthways into quarters. Remove and discard the fluffy white center from each one with your knife. Then, in no particular way, slice the zucchini up into matchsticks – don’t worry about being precise and perfect, just do the best you can.

Separate the egg and put the white into one bowl and the yolk into another. Add the zucchini matchsticks, white pepper, flour, chili, mint, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese to the yolk and mix up with your hands. You can be rough and scrunch the mixture together quite hard. Whip the egg white up with a pinch of salt until stiff (if you have someone else in the kitchen with you looking for something to do, ask them to do this job!), then carefully fold it into the zucchini mixture.

When it comes to shaping the fritters, feel free to make one lard one ( ½ inch thick) or get two non-stick pans on the heat to do a batch of smaller ones. Put a good couple of glugs of olive oil into each pan and put 5 or 6 little bundles of the mixture into each pan. Sprinkle over some cumin and cook the fritters on a medium heat. They should need about 2 ½ minutes on each side to go golden.

While they’re frying is a good time to get your guests around the table with the white wine flowing! As soon as the fritters are golden on both sides, take them to the table on a platter with the lemon quarters – they won’t hang around for long, that’s for sure.

***
Marie’s comments:
I really don’t like summer squash or zucchini very much, but this was great.
I’ve made this twice, and both times the mixture didn’t hold together. I am not sure if it was the quantity of zucchini versus egg or the fact that I am not patient. The first time I made it, I beat the egg whites, the second time I didn’t bother. The first time I tried little bundles, the second time one big pan full. Even though it didn’t hold together, the flavor was outstanding! Parts of it did get crunchy while the center was warmed through. Both Mike and I finished off a plate of it. The leftovers were mixed into a omelet, with some salsa, which was also great.

Beet Risotto!

The first is a beet recipe that uses both beets and their greens (plus any extra you have around) in _Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone_ by Deborah Madison.

Beet Risotto with Greens

5 ½ - 6 ½ cups of Vegetable Stock, including beet or chard stems
3 Tablespoons butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil
½ cup finely diced onion
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped basil (or 1 Tbsp dried)
2 -3 medium beets, peeled and grated, about 2 cups
2 -3 cups greens – beet, chard, kale or spinach – stems removed, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup of grated parmesan

Have the stock simmering on the stove. Heat the butter in a wide pot, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice, stir to coat it well, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until it’s absorbed, then stir in half the parsley, the basil, grated beets, and the chard or kale. Add 2 cups stock, cover and cook at a lively simmer until the stock is absorbed. Begin adding the remaining stock in ½-cup increments, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. When you have 1 cup left, add the beet greens or spinach. Taste for salt, season with pepper, then stir in the lemon zest and juice to taste. Serve dusted with the cheese and remaining parsley.

***
Marie’s comments: This comes out bright red with flecks of the greens – it is really pretty. I used red wine instead of white (figuring the dish was red anyway) and it tasted fine. I used almost all the lemon, but it was too strong in the leftovers. Next time I will use about ½ the amount, and add more to individual dishes. It makes a huge amount so we had leftovers for lunch for almost the entire week. All together it took about 35 minutes to make. Be sure to chop everything before starting to cook, otherwise it is chaos to chop and stir at the same time. I ate this as is, Mike ate it as a side with hotdogs.


For the leftovers (also from _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone_):

Risotto Croquettes

2 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
Risotto, any recipe, chilled
Clarified butter or olive oil for pan frying

Beat the eggs with the milk in a pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Put the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Scoop the risotto up with a spoon and form it into a flattened oval about 3 inches long. (Or simply divide the rice into the number of portions you need.) Using one hand, slide the croquettes into the egg, then scoop them out and put them in the dish with the bread crumbs. Using the other hand, roll them around so that they’re covered, then transfer to a large plate.

If you’re not planning to cook them right away, cover with wax paper and refrigerate, but allow them to come to room temperature before cooking. Fry them in clarified butter or oil until crisp and golden. Serve hot.

Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables: If you’d rather avoid breading and frying, use leftover risotto to fill stuffed peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage or chard leaves. Mound the filling, but don’t pack it, then bake at 375 degrees F until heated through, about 25 minutes.

*****
Marie’s comments: I stuffed chard leaves and baked the extra risotto, adding a bit more parmesan on the tops. It also came out well.

Sixth Share

2 heads of lettuce
2 summer squash
1 bunch kale
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch chard
1 lb carrots
1 pint string beans
1/4 bag purslane
4 ears corn
1 pint basil
12 stems of flowers

Fifth Share

2 bunches of lettuce
1 bunch kale
1 bunch chard
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch onions
3 zucchini or summer squash
2 cucumbers
1/2 bag spinach
1/4 bag purslane
4 garlic scapes
PYO thyme & oregano
12 stems of flowers

Green Smoothies

With all the heat this week, I've been getting in my greens by making green smoothies. So far I've tried these:

Chard & Strawberry
Spinach, Lettuce, Blueberry & Raspberry
Chard, Lettuce, Blueberry & Peaches

With at least 1/2 head a lettuce a glass, I am quickly drinking my leftover share! I believe I might be aquiring a taste for them.

Fourth Share

Flower Share started! 12 stems of flowers
1 bunch beets
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch chard
1 bunch kale
1 head lettuce
1 box basil
2 kohlrabi
2 summer squash
8 garlic scapes
PYO thyme, oregano and parsley

Learning to Love Rhubarb

Big Crumb Coffee Cake

I finally got over my aversion to rhubarb thanks to this. I am now a convert and with several huge mounds in my yard, I won't be giving any away any more.