It’s summer squash season! I love zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan…the more the better. I always scratch my head when people moan about getting too much summer squash. Ya just freeze it. Then you have it all year long.
Today, though, I will share with you one of my favorite ways to use summer squash that everyone in our family loves: fritters. Find out how to make them below.
Jump to RecipeChoosing Summer Squash
There are many varieties of summer squash. I listed a few above, but there is also round zucchini, squash that is both green and yellow, and variations in between. I use whatever I can get my hands on, but I do prefer the longer varieties if I’m going to be shredding it.
Did you know summer squash originated in Central America? It is one of the “three sisters” that Native Americans grew, along with corn and beans. Also, a zucchini can grow up to 1 inch per day.
What are Fritters?
I’m always curious about the origin of foods and words. Did you know that fritter means to waste time on small matters? It can also mean to divide something into small pieces. My guess is the second definition is the one that led to the naming of this food.
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetable, or dough that is deep-fried. They can be sweet or savory.
How to Make Fritters
In our case, we will be pan-frying fritters instead of deep-frying them. To make the fritters, gather the ingredients and shred the summer squash. You can do this by either feeding it through a food processor or grating it. Place it in a colander and sprinkle with salt. While the salt draws out the moisture, assemble the rest of the ingredients (minus the coconut oil, which you’ll use to cook them) in a large bowl. Gather up the shredded squash in a clean, lint-free tea towel. Squeeze and twist the cloth to try and remove as much moisture as you can. Add the squash to the bowl and mix well.
Heat pan over high heat. Add the coconut oil and let it get hot. Lump mounds of the squash mixture onto the hot pan and gently flatten with a spatula. Let it cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1 minute longer. Repeat this, adding more oil as needed to the pan, until you have golden squash fritters nicely lined up on a tray.
What will you eat these fritters with? I like to top mine with a fried egg and some fresh herbs. They make a wonderful lunch or light dinner. Enjoy!
Until next time,
Rebekah
Other Seasonal Summer Recipes
- Thrifty Chickpea Broth Soup: This broth, made from cooking dried chickpeas, pairs exceptionally well with summer squash.
- Spectacular Summer Sides: A round up of the best summer sides, from sweet potato salad to fresh corn and basil salad.
- Top Crust Cardamom Peach Pie: A sweet way to enjoy summer’s bounty of peaches
- How to Preserve Tomatoes: Get this recipe ready for when your tomatoes are ripe!
Quinoa Squash Fritters
Equipment
- Food processor, optional
- Clean, lint-free cloth for squeezing out shredded squash
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded summer squash about 2 medium
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 1/2 cup cassava flour may sub almond flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons sea salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Wash squash. If using food processor, sliced into quarters lengthwise. Feed through food processor, using shredder attachment. Transfer to colander. If using a grater, grate whole squash into a colander. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Mix together remaining ingredients (except for coconut oil), including additional teaspoon of salt. Gather up shredded squash into clean cloth and wring out extra moisture. The more moisture you wring out, the more crisp the fritters will be. Add squash to bowl and mix well.
- Heat cast iron or heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Add coconut oil. When hot, pick up handfuls of squash mixture, gently squeeze them together, and plop them into the pan. Use a spatula to flatten them. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 1 minute. Line on a tray.
- Serve with fried eggs, fresh herbs, cheese or sour cream. These go great with a salad and could even fill in for a vegetarian burger.
