Towards the summer you find a lot of interesting squash hanging around farmers markets.  I think the prettiest ones are two-toned Zephyr squash.   I used them in another great recipe, but they would have been just as good turned into fritters. You can use any type of squash found at the end of the summer for these fritters – zucchini, pattypan squash, summer squash, etc.

These fritters are delicious. You know, I’m starting to notice that I say that about every recipe that I post here. I need a new way to phrase it. We (not including the boys) ate every last one of them and wished we had more! We have a new rule in our house. Everyone must try something new at every dinner. I figure if their palates get used to things other than peanut butter and pasta, one day they might decide that they actually like them. The new plan has been a little rough – it causes a lot of stress at dinner time, and my pediatrician has been telling me for years that dinner should not be stressful, so I’m not sure if I should continue with it. The other rule that we have is that when the boys try something new, they must do it without theatrics. Seeing our dinners, I clearly have not defined the word theatrics well enough. Hopefully it will get better.

These fritters were easy to make because I shredded the zucchini using my food processor. I had to take out one of those blades that I rarely use, but works so well that I wish I remembered to use it more often. It only took a minute to shred the zucchini beautifully with the shredding blade. I made these again tonight and I’ll continue to make them as long as I find squash in the farmers markets. That said, I’ve started to see winter squash appear lately (acorn, butternut, etc.)

Zucchini Fritters
Recipe adapted a bit from SmittenKitchen, who adapted it a bit from Simply Recipes

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil for frying

To serve (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
Chipotle pepper sauce (I use the Tabasco brand)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready.

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor.

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the excess water from the zucchini by wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing until all of the excess moisture is removed.

Return the mass of zucchini shreds to a bowl. Taste and if you think it’s needed, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet (case iron if possible) heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, keeping the pan well-oiled. Let the fritters get a little extra crispy and finish setting and in the warm oven for ~10 minutes.

If you’d like to use a topping, mix the sour cream or yogurt with Chipotle pepper sauce to taste. Serve the fritters with a small dollop of topping.

Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week. They also freeze well. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they’re hot and crisp again.

Yield: About 10 2 1/2 inch fritters

One year ago: McDonald’s-Style Chicken Nuggets
Two years ago: Lemon Chamomile Shortbread
Three years ago: Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup