Zucchini is in season right now, and soon there will be so much we won't know what to do with it. I could probably eat zucchini everyday. It's so versatile - grill it, sautee it, fry it up. Yesterday morning, I took to frittering it.

I modified this recipe from the May 2002 issue of Bon Appetit. It was a special "Mediterranan" edition, and I think these fritters were inspired by recipes from the Greek island of Samos (maybe Syros). At any rate, the recipe needs to be tested again, as the fritters didn't come out perfectly. Some solutions follow:

Zucchini Fritters
2 large zucchini, grated
1/2 large onion, chopped finely
1/2 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. mint
1 c. Italian parsley
2 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. crumbled feta

vegetable oil

Mix together the first three ingredients and squeeze to release excess water. You may want to put these in a colander and leave to drain overnight. (Though, I think the next time, I will try to use a salad spinner to get out the excess water.)

After ingredients are relatively dry, mix in the herbs, eggs, breadcrumbs, and feta. I added feta even though the recipe called for pecorino. I thought it would lend the fritters a more Greek flavor.

Bring about 1 inch of vegetable oil to frying temperature. With a thermometer, that's about 350 degrees. But if you don't have one, test a fritter to see if it sizzles. If the oil does nothing, it's not hot enough. If the oil splatters, it's too hot.

Use a tablespoon to scoop out small balls of the mixture. Place each ball in the oil and fry until brown, turning once. Remove to plate covered with a paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Let cool, then eat.

--

I had drained my zucchini overnight, so I ended up making these in the morning. They went well with an over-easy egg for breakfast.

My husband thought that the fritters weren't crispy enough. They seemed cooked-through, but admittedly were a bit wet. His solution was to put the fritters in the toaster oven.

Some steps I may consider adding later:
1. Frying fritters, then toasting and/or baking
2. Using pecorino instead of feta (though the feta tasted marvelous) for "binding" purposes
3. dredging the balls in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs to make them bind better

I'll let you know if I give these another test.