This time of year, gardens are filling up with all kinds of produce. Most gardeners I know always end up giving me armfuls of zucchini, so I wanted to do something fun with it. I made fritter patties and served them with a romesco sauce. The fritter recipe is listed below, as well as a list of fun ideas to use up more of the inevitable zucchini that will end up on your doorstep.
Vegetable Fritters with Romesco Sauce
Here is a recipe two-fer that I ended up making last week. I had gone shopping and found some big red peppers for a dollar apiece, so I grabbed my limit and made a big batch of Romesco sauce with them. The veggie fritters came later, courtesy of a massive zucchini that was lovingly gifted to me, and some other vegetables I had to use up. Both the fritters and the Romesco sauce freeze well; I will be enjoying them for a while. Here are the recipes I used. Enjoy!
Zucchini Fritters With Romesco Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups zucchini, grated
- 1 small onion, small-diced
- 1 bell pepper, small-diced
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 egg whites, beaten
- 1/2 cup gluten-free or regular flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons oil, for frying
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In small batches, using a strainer, squeeze as much liquid out of the grated zucchini as possible; toss with two teaspooons of salt and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onion and pepper with one teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the vegetables for several minutes, stirring occasionally. you want to dry the vegetables out a little bit without burning them.
2. Place the sauteed vegetables in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. Add the zucchini, squeezing more liquid out, if possible. Mix together with egg white, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over vegetables. Mix together until well combined. If you are using gluten-free flour, allow mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Heat the oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Spoon the fritter mixture in 2-tablespoon sized mounds in the skillet, and gently press to flatten. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes; flip and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to raise the heat too high, or the cheese will burn.
7. Drain on paper towel and lightly season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all fritters have been fried. Serve immediately, or they can be frozen for later.
Romesco Sauce
- Red peppers, 3 large
- Garlic cloves, chopped, 4 each
- Yellow onion, medium diced, 1 medium
- Roma tomatoes, diced, 6
- Olive oil, 2/3 cup
- Sherry vinegar, 2 tablespoons
- Toasted almonds, 1/4 cup
- 1-2 tsp smoked paprika
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions;
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the peppers in half, remove seeds, and toss them wilth olive oil and salt. On a baking sheet, place the red peppers in a single layer, skin side up. Roast them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the skins are dark and blistered. Remove the hot peppers with tongs and place into a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan on the stove, combine 2/3 cup of olive oil, tomatoes, yellow onion, and garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, being careful not to let anything burn on the bottom. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until onions and garlic begin to caramelize.
Once the roasted red pepper halves are cool to the touch, peel the blistered skin off, and discard. In a blender, combine the roasted red peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, sherry vinegar, paprika, and almonds. Purée into a thick consistency; you may need to add a bit of water for this step. Season to taste, adding salt or lemon as needed. Refrigerate up to seven days, or freeze for several months.