Zucchini Fritters

Lucy is scheduled to see the doctor early next week and I'm looking forward to finding out where she measures up on the growth charts. She is a chunky gal! Thankfully, when we got the reminder call from the doctor's office, they actually had her correct name on file. Last time we were in, I noticed that her names was listed as "Lucia J" on her file. I asked the nurse about it and she replied, "Oh the "J" is just for her middle name!"

"But...her middle name is Therese," I stated, with some slight confusion.
"Oh! Well, we have it listed here as Juarez. I thought that was a strange name!" she replied.

Juarez? Why the heck would we name her Juarez? I realized that they received her full name initially over the phone when we called from the hospital shortly after her birth. Since we go with the french pronunciation of Therese (pronounced tey-rez), perhaps something was misheard over the telephone during that call. Either way, we have it straightened out now and we will see how much our chunk-a-roo has fattened up since her last wellness visit!

Such a die-hard fan of the Irish at such a tender young age!

She loves Emma's "Hello Kitty" chair.

This is a fun little recipe to use up some of that leftover zucchini from the garden. Not that I actually have this problem to contend with - nowadays I pick up my zucchini from the local farmer's markets but when I used to work before Matthew came along, my coworkers with more sophisticated gardening skills often gifted me tons of zucchini. One of these days, I will plant my own zucchini and finally have it coming out of my ears. I wouldn't mind - I love the stuff.

These fritters were quick, easy, and delicious. Paul was excited to see these grace the dinner table and it made for a lovely light meal when paired with a salad. I loved the orange scented tomato sauce served alongside. The mint seemed like a strange addition to the batter at first, but I loved how it complemented both the dill and the tomatoes in the sauce. Pretty darn delicious.

The charred edges were Paul's contribution to this dining experience - he's always happy and willing to fry anything for me. Maybe not the prettiest things, but they sure were tasty.

Zucchini Fritters
from Cook's Country August/September 2014

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup juice
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

For the Fritters:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Add scallion whites and salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in orange juice and sugar and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and orange zest and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens, cover, and keep warm.

Line large bowl with clean dish towel. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater into prepared bowl. Stir in salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Gather ends of towel to form bundle and twist to squeeze zucchini as dry as possible (you should squeeze off about 1 cup liquid). Discard liquid and return zucchini to bowl (without towel). Stir cornstarch into zucchini until fully incorporated. Stir in feta, egg, mint, dill, garlic, and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop 6 scant 1/4-cup portions of batter into pan. Gently press each fritter to 2 1/2-inch diameter using back of spoon or rubber spatula. Cook until well browned and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels, 30 seconds per side, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining batter. Serve with sauce.