Dry 'em and Fry 'em: Zucchini

Got zillions of zucchini?  Or a neighbor with zillions of zucchini that keeps foisting theirs on you?  Or maybe you just like zucchini?  Wherever you fall on the zucchini spectrum, they are a versatile vegetable to have on hand all year round. 

I don’t grow them myself, but I take advantage of the fresh, organic zukes available at the farmers’ market in the summer, then dehydrate them so I can cook and bake with them during the winter months.

While I dry some in thin slices to be thrown into a pot of soup, my favorite prep method for dehydrating zucchini is to shred it.  In this form it can be used in so many ways:  to thicken soups, add flavor to sauces and sautés, make zucchini bread (or maybe some chocolate zucchini cake), or to make zucchini fritters.

Fritters make a great appetizer/first course, especially topped with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, aioli, or pesto.  They’re equally lovely served just with some lemon wedges.  Fritters work well as a side dish too (I quite like them with roasted chicken or grilled sausages).

If you don’t have a dehydrator and aren’t tempted to get one, you can still make these fritters by substituting about 1 pound of fresh zucchini for the dried.  Shred the zucchini with a food processor or stand mixer attachment, or use the course side of a box grater.  Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the shredded zukes, then proceed as directed starting with Step 2.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
(recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living)
1 cup dried shredded zucchini

1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tbsp minced fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 - 4 tbsp olive oil

1.    Reconstitute zucchini in 1 cup of boiling water.  Allow to sit for about 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly.

2.    Mix together the drained zucchini, salt & pepper, lemon zest, parsley, garlic, and eggs.  Slowly add the flour, stirring well so that no lumps form.

3.    Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot (the oil should sizzle when you drop a tiny amount of the zucchini mixture into it), carefully drop in the zucchini mixture 2 tbsp at a time (a 2-tbsp cookie scoop works great for this), spacing the fritters a few inches apart. 

4.    Cook until the bottoms of the fritters are golden, about 2-3 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium, turn the fritters, and cook for another 2-3 minutes more, until the fritters are completely golden.  Remove the fritters to a plate lined with paper or flour sack towels to absorb any excess olive oil.  Cook any remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.  Garnish as desired and serve.  Makes about 6 fritters.