Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Late Summer Lunch: Zucchini & Sweet Corn Fritters

By Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches

It's late summer and I've got a glut of zucchini, corn, cucumbers and tomatoes to wade through. I'm trying not to freak out over all the farm abundance that is spilling into my kitchen, nor do I want to get stuck in a rut as I'm not keen on eating the same meals over and over again.


So when I found myself wondering what to make for lunch, I remembered the unique veggie burgers found at an arty cafe back in my hometown. Instead of the standard heavy veggie patty stuffed with grains, this veggie patty was actually a light and airy fritter filled with grated vegetables. It was deep fried and it was delicious.

Not into deep-frying, I nixed that thought in favour of pan frying – using just enough oil to so that the fritters didn't stick. And as for that light texture, I figured the best way to recreate that airiness would be to whip the egg whites into peaks. It's an extra step, but it's so worth it! The slightly spicy relish works as a nice refreshing counterpoint to the hot fritters and is a perfect topper. This was an ideal meal to work through the vegetable abundance.


Zucchini & Sweet Corn Fritters with Fresh Tomato-Cucumber Relish
1 small zucchini, grated & squeezed dry
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
a few dashes of hot sauce
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Quick Tomato-Cucumber Relish
1/2 cucumber, seeds removed & diced
2 tomatoes, seeds removed & diced
1/4 onion, diced
1 jalepeno, diced
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the zucchini and corn together and stir in the flour, baking powder and spices.

2. Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until they have they form stiff peaks. Beat together the egg yolks with the milk and stir this mixture into the vegetable-flour mix with a fork. Add the whipped egg whites and fold in slowly until everything is well mixed.

3. Prep the relish by mixing together the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and drop the fritter batter into the pan - a heaping tablespoon should be a good size. Flatten tops slightly and fry until golden. Flip and cook until the remaining side is golden. Serve fritters with a big dollop of the fresh salsa on top. Makes about 6-8 fritters.

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