Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Salsa

At this time of year in Tasmania home veggie gardens are typically full of zucchinis.  If you can pick them fast enough with the flowers still attached they are excellent baked or fried in a chickpea flour batter, when they’re small they are great sautéed or baked in some olive oil and salt, when they’re big they can be grated and used in cakes or breads.  I created this recipe a few weeks ago when my neighbour’s daughter had way more zucchinis in her garden than she could possibly eat, and was trying to find people to eat them for her.  After making chocolate zucchini mud cake I still had some left, and made this from it:

Zucchini fritters, avocado salsa, salad and fresh slow-rise bread made with wholemeal khorasan (kamut) flour

Shallow frying these in olive oil makes them extra delicious.  To shallow fry them pour olive oil into a frying pan until it is around half a centimetre (1/5 inch) high.  Turn the heat onto a medium-high temperature and wait for it to heat up.  You will know when the oil is ready by gently tilting the pan and then placing it flat again – little squiggly lines will appear in the oil very quickly when it is ready and then it is important to put the fritters in right away.

Soy-free, gluten-free.  Serves 2.

Zucchini fritter ingredients:

500g zucchini (1.1 lb)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chickpea flour

3/4 cup water

olive oil, for shallow frying

Method:

Grate the zucchini and place it in a tea towel.  Mix in the salt and leave it to sit while you prepare the salsa.

Squeeze all the liquid out of the zucchini using the tea towel and then place in a bowl.  Mix in the chickpea flour, then slowly add the water, a little at a time.

Heat the oil for shallow frying as described above.  When it is ready scoop bits of the zucchini mixture up with a tablespoon and place in the oil, spreading it out slightly to make it flat, but not pressing it down.  Continue with the rest of the mixture then leave to fry until the bottoms are golden-brown, 2-5 minutes.  Flip over and fry until the other side is golden-brown, a couple of minutes, then serve right away with the salsa, a green salad and some fresh bread (or another grain dish or potatoes).

Avocado salsa ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 big tomato

half a medium-sized red onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice (around half a lemon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Method:

Chop the avocado and tomato into fairly small pieces and place in a bowl.  Slice the onion into very tiny pieces, separating them first, and then placing in the bowl with the avocado and tomato.  Add the lemon juice, salt, cumin and paprika and gently mix with a spoon until evenly combined.

This post has been featured in March 1st Pennywise Platter and Simple Living Thursday