Zucchini Feta cakes
You can grate the zucchini in the food processor, but I choose to do it with a grater. The zucchini has to be drained in a colander and then squeezed out on a dish towel to get out all the excess water (do not skip this step). I had quite a bit of excess water when I drained the zucchini (more than a cup). Smitten Kitchen recommends that you always use a cast iron frying pan to make “crispy fritters” as she calls them. Mine were not especially crispy, except for the outer ends. I assume that Smitten Kitchen used more oil than I did and her recipe uses only one egg. I also used more than a pound of zucchini (two fat ones). The original recipe only uses one pound. The original recipe also calls for dill, but I used chives instead. If you choose to use dill, put in some scallions to get the onion flavor. I could also see some mint in this recipe. If you make these cakes for a crowd, keep them warm in a preheated oven (250 degrees). But I like to eat them when they come right out of the pan. The leftovers make a great snack.
Ingredients :
(makes 10-12 pancakes) 1-1 ½ pound zucchinis (2 or 3 zucchinis depending on size) a generous amount of salt freshly ground pepper a smidge of ground nutmeg 3 smallish eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup crumbled feta cheese ½ cup flour ½ tsp baking powder 1/3 cup chopped chives or dill 2-4 TBS vegetable oil for frying, more if needed The Yogurt Sauce 1 cup Greek yogurt 2-3 cloves garlic, grated salt and lemon juice to taste 
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Directions:
Trim the ends (but do not peel the zucchini) and grate them on the large holes in a grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl and generously sprinkle with salt. Let it drain for about 20-30 minutes and then squeeze out as much juice a possible with a kitchen towel. In the meantime, mix the flour with the baking powder. Put the drained zucchini in a bowl and add more salt to taste. Stir in the eggs, dill, nutmeg, pepper, and mix well. Add the feta and flour mixture. In a large skillet, heat the pan and the oil until it shimmers. Drop a heaping tablespoon of zucchini batter in frying pan several inches apart. Flatten them a little bit with a spatula and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. If they brown too quickly, turn your heat down to medium. Put them on a plate lined with a paper towel and keep them warm in a preheated oven (250 degrees) while you fry the rest. Add additional oil if needed. The Yogurt Sauce: Combine all the ingredients and serve with the pancakes. Guten Appetit! Recipe from NYT adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com |