Work has been pretty busy these last few weeks and since I can’t post photos from work, posts here on my blog have been sparse. Sorry about that. Working 2nd & 3rd shift took some adjusting so working on photos and cooking have also been sparse. We were however, given the 3 day July 4th holiday off so I am catching up on things.
I’m also having a small dinner party tomorrow night with a few friends. I have a pretty good view of Seattle’s main fireworks show so we’ll grill o
ut on the deck then watch the fireworks display.
I started prepping for the dinner today making some delicious zucchini fritters. Just don’t tell my mom about me eating anything with zucchini in it, cause I will never hear the end of it. Growing up we always had a garden and by summers end we were knee deep in cucumbers and zucchini of which I HATED both. So, mom would try to hide zucchini in all sorts of meals and I would try to discover her “creativeness” and then refuese to eat anything with zucchini in it. Yeah, I was pretty bratty back then. But as I have gotten older my tastes have adjusted and I actually kinda like zucchini now. Strange, eh?
We made these in my last cooking class, which was on Mediterranean Foods. These suckers are a bit addictive, so make at your own risk. I took a photo while making them today, but I forgot to take one after they were all done. I will try and take one of them tomorrow before the party.
Zucchini Fritters (Kabak Mücveri)
Serves 4
These little fritters can be served hot or cold. They can be made in advance and reheated.
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil, plus more for frying
- 1 pound zucchini, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Black pepper
- 2 to 3 sprigs of mint, chopped
- 2 to 3 sprigs of dill, chopped
- 7 ounces feta cheese, mashed with a fork
Preparation:
- Fry the onion in 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat until it is soft and lightly colored ten minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté, stirring, until they, too, are soft and beginning to color (5-10 minutes) remove from heat.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour until well blended. Add pepper (there is no need of salt because the feta cheese is very salty) and the chopped herbs, and mix well.
- Fold the mashed feta into the eggs, together with the cooked onions and zucchini.
- Film the bottom of a preferably nonstick frying pan with oil and pour in the mixture by the half ladle (or 2 tablespoons) to make a few fritters at a time. Turn each over once, and cook until both sides are browned a little. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve with yogurt (recipe follows).
Cucumber and Yogurt Salad (Cacik)
Unless it is to be eaten as soon as it is made, it is best to salt the cucumber and let the juices drain before mixing with the yogurt; otherwise it gets very watery. If possible, use the small cucumbers sold in Middle Eastern and Asian stores—they have a finer flavor than the large ones. Cacik is served as part of a meze (appetizer) and also as a side dish—to be eaten with spoons from little individual side bowls—to accompany pies, meat dishes, and rice. It even makes a lovely cold summer soup. Use plain whole-milk yogurt.
- 4 small cucumbers or 1 large one
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
- 2 sprigs of finely chopped mint or dill, or 2 teaspoons dried, crushed mint
Preparation:
- Peel and dice or grate the cucumbers (squeeze out any extra water), or cut them in half lengthwise, and then into half- moon slices. Unless the salad is to be served immediately, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1/2 to 1 hour in a colander for the juices to drain.
- Beat the yogurt in a serving bowl with the crushed garlic, if using, and the mint or dill, and fold in the cucumber. Add a little salt, taking into account the saltiness of the cucumber if you have salted it, although most of the salt will have gone with the drained juices.
