Zucchini Fritters with Herbed Yogurt Dip

It’s that magical time of the year when my garden is starting to produce a bounty of fresh produce. Right now it’s the herbs, lettuce, and snow peas that have hit full swing, but my beans, tomatoes, and raspberries are well on their way too. This recipe was inspired by a desire to use the abundance of fresh herbs that I now have at my disposal, along with a sale on zucchini at my local super market this week.

Zucchini is a very versatile food. I enjoy it as an ingredient in stir fry, as a substitute for noodles, and even in sweets. I grew up eating my mom’s delicious zucchini bread. I had friends when I was growing up who wouldn’t even try it because they couldn’t wrap their heads around a green vegetable in a baked good. Their loss. That zucchini bread was outrageous. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I might have to do some baking… I digress.

In addition to being very versatile, zucchini packs a good nutritional punch. Zucchini is high in antioxidants. It contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps to promote good digestion. It’s also high in Vitamins A, B6, and C. However, a lot of these health benefits are in the skin of the zucchini, so never peel it.

This recipe lets the zucchini be the star (with my excellent herb garden being a contender for best supporting).

Ingredients:

Zucchini Fritters:

2 cups of grated zucchini (you can use any type of zucchini here - green, yellow, white, a mixture)

2 scallions, thinly sliced (both whites and greens)

0.5 oz or 14g parmesan reggiano, finely grated

tbsp fresh chives, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup all purpose flour (note: a gluten free substitute like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 will work here too)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbsp oil for frying (I used MCT oil, but olive oil or avocado oil would work great too)

Herbed Yogurt Dip:

1/2 cup plain Skyr yogurt (note: other plain yogurts will work here too, but I prefer Skyr for it’s high protein content)

tbsp fresh mint, thinly sliced

tbsp fresh cilantro, thinly sliced

tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the herbed yogurt dip and stir until well incorporated. Set aside.

Squeeze the excess moisture out of the zucchini. My preferred method of doing this is to place the zucchini into a clean dish towel and give it a few good squeezes. You should be able to remove at least a few tbsp of water. Next, combine all of the ingredients for the zucchini fritters in a medium to large bowl, except for the oil. Stir until well incorporated.

This is my grated zucchini after squeezing out the excess water. It has lost some of its volume.

Divide the zucchini mixture into six roughly equal portions and use your hands to shape them into balls. Gently squish each ball to shape the zucchini mixture into fritters. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add the zucchini fritters to the pan and cook for approximately 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Finish the fritters in the oven for 5 minutes so that the inside of the fritter is fully cooked.

Serve the fritters topped with the herbed yogurt dip, or with the herbed yogurt dip on the side.