These savory cakes are crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and superb accompanied with a salad of summer tomatoes and chopped Greek olives. It’s a snap to use lots of local goodies in this recipe, such as garden zucchini, farmers market onion, local yogurt, eggs and even feta.
Tip: For the best results, cook until brown and crisp both sides, then serve immediately. Makes 3 to 4 servings
1 pound zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped dill (or dill and parsley or dill and cilantro)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour or more as needed
1/4 teaspoons cayenne
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 – Grate the zucchini in the food processor. Toss with the salt, and let it sit in a colander, over a bowl, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove to a hand towel and squeeze out all the liquid. Place in a medium bowl with the herbs, feta, eggs, onions, flour, and cayenne. Stir to combine.
2 – In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil to medium-high. Add the zucchini batter in tablespoons, pressing down with the back of a spoon, until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cook on both sides until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Cook the rest of the fritters in batches.
3 – Serve with yogurt on the side or with a small dollop on top of each fritter.
The Recipe
Adapted from Ayla Algar’s Classic Turkish Cooking, this recipe was included in my first book, One Pot Vegetarian Dishes. Reading Algar’s book endeared me to Turkish food, so I dragged my family there. It was a memorable trip though the food was often disappointing. One fabulous exception was a tasty snack we gobbled up while standing at tiny bus stop atop Mt. Olympus — warm flat bread, freshly made, lathered with butter and rolled up with feta and parsley. Food fit for the gods.
