This is an easy recipe to use up those extra large zucchini that escape detection until they are bigger than the ones in the supermarket that have become sterotypified as what a zucchini should be.

Disclaimer: My fritters are not “fritters” in the modern sense. The interweb tells us that “a fritter is a portion of vegetables, meat, seafood, fruit, or other ingredients which have been fried, generally deep fried. Fritters are generally battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory varieties.”

My fritters are not deep fried, and they are more like gluten-free vegetable pancakes using shredded zucchini.  Or zucchini noodles from the store.

Descendant of a ’49-er

I learned to make these “fritters” from the neighbor of my Marin County aunt. (I wish that I could remember that lady’s name.) She had a tiny home on a patch of land that her ancestors had homesteaded after coming to California for the gold rush.

Like my aunt, this lady was an artist. She might have been a noted artist, I don’t recall. She was not very organized in the kitchen. To be honest, somewhat disorganized in life in general. She insisted we join her in a meal, and then went out to gather items from the garden, and some eggs from the chicken coop.

Garden?! I of course went out with her. After wandering the rows we discovered a giant overlooked zucchini, some rather large carrots, a single beat, and some onions. The chickens had three eggs, which she declared was perfect because there were three of us. “We shall have fritters!” she exclaimed with joy.

I was the cook of the family from about age ten, so when I got home I tried to recreate the dish. I still have the scar on my thumb to prove that carrot peelers can be brutal if you are not careful.

Zucchini Fritters

This recipe has been refined over time.  It serves 4 hungry adults as the main course. Good for breakfast the next morning too.

You need: Roughly a pound of grated or shredded veggies per person. You can use zucchini alone or a mix of squashes, onion, beet, and carrot.

Fresh zucchini or squash alone will need the excess moisture drawn out (below), otherwise the fritters will be soggy (yuck).

Frozen shredded veggies are one way to preserve the summer harvest for later. We shred zucchini and use it for these fritters or for chocolate zucchini bread. That recipe is something to make when it is cool enough to turn on the oven.

4 pounds veggies
4 large eggs
1/ 2 cup gluten free or all-purpose flour
cooking oil

If fresh:

Place zucchini in a colander set over a bowl and blend in 1 teaspoon kosher-style salt. You use the bowl to capture the awesome but slightly salty veggie fluids for a soup. Let stand at least 10 minutes, then press to remove excess moisture before the next step.

If frozen:

Defrost your veggies in a colander set over a bowl. Skip the salt. You really want to capture this great veggie juice! Once defrosted, press to remove even more excess moisture before the next step.

Science Nerd Shares

When you make these fritters, you need to either chemically or mechanically rupture the veggie plant cells to remove excess moisture. Salt will chemically remove excess moisture through osmosis. Freezing ruptures the plant cells and allows excess moisture to drain.

Make the Fritters

Step 1. In a large bowl, scramble the eggs.
If you want additional herbs or spices (garlic chives, pepper, thyme, fresh basil) add them here.
Step 2. Add the flour.  I use a gluten free baking mix.  Almond or oak flour works well too.
Step 3. Blend well.

Step 4. Add the veggies and stir until coated.
Step 5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cook

Drop 1 /4 cupful of veggie mixture into skillet,
Flatten these out at least slightly with a spoon or they won’t cook through.
Cook until golden and crisp – about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these veggie fritters with a topping or selection of dipping sauces.

   * Chimichurri Sauce 
   * smoked salsa verde (being written)
   * savory Honey Dressing
   * sour cream
   * buttermilk ranch dressing
   * Mexican crema sauce
   * top with shredded Parmesan cheese, or queso fresco

Botany Nerd Shares

Zucchini are indeed an Italian squash, just like the name sounds. They were bred in around the turn of the last century (1900’s) from seeds of a squash variety imported to Italy from southern Mexico. To make this a truly Southwestern fritter, you should use Mexican gray squash. But you can use store-bought zucchini noodles and I won’t tell anyone.

Afterward

Standing on that steep slope of land, that day, the sun hot on my neck, I learned a life lesson that I never learned at home. Her reaction to our little outing was so different from what I was used to seeing from the adults in my life. It was a revelation to me, but it did not come as an immediate life-changing burst of inspiration. I was a pre-teen, so it was something I tucked it away in one corner of my mind to ponder.

This tiny grey haired woman did not complain at the lack of any perfect zucchini. She did not moan that there were only a few carrots. She did not rail about the fact that her chickens (at least a dozen) had laid a scant three eggs. Instead she saw the bounty that her land had provided for herself and her guests and her heart was happy.

She found joy.

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