Zucchinis are one of these vegetables that either you are excited about, or you really don’t know what on earth to do with them (except frying them like the Greeks, grilling them, or the popular in the recent years zucchini noodles). My zucchini sorry is one of success. Of turning I don’t care to love! 

As a kid, I fell in the first category for many, many years, until one day my mom made zucchini fritters, and then all the sudden I got really excited about eating zucchinis in the summer. Fast forward to a few years ago, I discovered the joy of raw zucchini by making a salad of them with mustard vinaigrette, goat cheese and mint ( recipe here). And most recently, adding zucchinis to romanesco in the fall for a silky, and very dreamy cream soup (recipe here). 

Throughout the years I discovered that zucchini, at least to me, needs some gentle help from other bright ingredients to taste more like itself. And nowadays I think of the humble zucchini an empty canvas to the abundance of spices, herbs and other ingredients out there. 

And this brings me to the zucchini fritters recipe of today’s story. These little babies could either be super delicious, or very disappointing – especially when tasting bland, and after all the peeling and grating they fall apart when attempting to flip them in the frying pan. So what is the secret to a really good zucchini fritters? One part of the secret is that they need to have an abundance of flavor – think spices, herbs, even chicken (per my mom’s recommendation). And the other secret, is that you have to squeeze the liquid out of the grated zucchini so those cute patties don’t fall apart in the pan the moment you try to flip them. 

So onto my own recipe. What is so special about it? Well, it is not that revolutionary when you compare it to the sea of zucchini fritters recipes out there. But, if you ask me what I love about it, I would tell you that this recipe on one level incorporates the abundance of the summer season. It has fragrant mint and dill, and a lovely side of cherry heirloom tomatoes and diced cucumber, which adds freshness, a bit of acid to balance, and crunchiness when enjoyed all together. The other part about this recipe that I love, is that it brings me back to my childhood, to Bulgaria where we enjoy fried zucchini and zucchini fritters with dill and garlic yogurt. It reminds me of summer and of home. It’s an escape during this crazy year of 2020 when I can’t go travel back home to smell the air, walk in the streets of Sofia and eat all the food that fills my heart with joy. 

So cook my friends! Cook anything that fills your heart with joy, and what helps you stay connected to the good things in life. Connected to all the love, friends, family and fuzzy creatures out there. Until next time ❤

Oh, and if you make this recipe don’t forget to let me know what you think!

Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Herbs

Makes about 15 small fritters (about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Fritters
• 5-6 small zucchini
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 cup crumbled French or Israeli Feta*
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• Black pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive (or sunflower) oil for frying

Lemony, garlic yogurt
• 1 cup of full-fat Greek or Icelandic yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Tomato and cucumber garnish
• 16-20 heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

To make the fritters:

1. Peel the zucchini and grate them on the large wholes of a box grater (yields about 2-2.5 cups of shreds). Place grated zucchini in a large mixing bowl, add the sea salt and mix really well using your hands until the zucchini start feeling wet to the touch. Leave for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to release.

2. Line a bowl with a cheese cloth, flour sack or a cotton kitchen towel, leaving the edges of the cloth to hang to the sides of the bowl. Place a handful of shredded zucchini in the center of the cloth (don’t be tempted to add more shreds as it will be difficult to squeeze the liquid out.) Twist the cloth and squeeze as much liquid as possible. Place the squeezed shreds in a large mixing bowl. Repeat with the rest of the wet zucchini shreds. Add the rest of the fritters ingredients (except the oil) to the mixing bowl with the squeezed zucchinis, mix really well using your hands. Add more salt if needed.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of mixture to your hands and flatten slightly to create a patty (about 3” diameter). Place in the hot pan with oil. Repeat and cook, in batches, for 2–3 minutes each side or until golden. You might have to add additional 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan between batches. 

4. Place fritters on a large plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.

To make the yogurt sauce:
Place yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice and zest in a bowl, mix well. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

To make the tomato salad garnish:
Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a bowl. Add a splash of olive oil and salt to taste. Toss to mix.

To assemble:
Divide the yogurt sauce between 4 plates (or shallow pasta bowls). Using the back of a spoon, spread the yogurt on one side of each plate. Place 3-4 fritters on top of yogurt. Spoon the tomato salad on the other side of the fritters, follow with the diced cucumber. Sprinkle with black pepper, chopped mint and dill (optional.)  Enjoy!

* Lets talk feta cheese! The crumbled, packaged, domestic stuff from the grocery store will overpower this dish (unless you absolutely love that type of pungent, salty feta). French and Israeli feta are far more mild, buttery and creamy. The bonus of French and Israeli feta is that they come in a big block and you can slice them or crumble them to whatever size you want. And, you will have some leftover cheese which is so good on an open-face grilled feta sandwich with asparagus and mint :)