Recipe Zucchini Fritters Recipe & Edible Flowers via The Westport Farmers' Market Lynn Felici-Gallant July 26, 2016 Edible flowers are all the rage, and squash blossoms are perhaps one of the most familiar of culinary botanicals. Though tremendously popular today, serving the flowers of plants in the Cucurbit family – which includes Cucurbita pepo (zucchini, yellow squash, acorn, and pumpkin, among others) – dates at least as far back as 16th century Italy, and to Native Americans before then. Barcelona of Fairfield will bring this Mediterranean tradition to the Westport Farmers’ Market as this week’s featured chef. Don’t miss their demonstration, complete with recipe, starting at 10:15. Squash blossoms are not the only edible flowers you’ll find at the market. Muddy Feet Flower Farm, of course, is chock full of flowers for your table and recipes, but other vendors feature flowers for your plate and palette, too. Nasturtium, lavender, calendula, thyme, dill, clover, begonia, elderberry, and even daylilies adorn dishes and recipes, from cocktails to the main course. Make this the week you gather an armful of edible flowers to try at home. Mid-summer brings to the market a bounty of veggies, too. Corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, zucchini, and every herb imaginable is ready! Whether you are stocking up for the week or preserving for the winter, these are the days farmers and market shoppers live for. Other exciting happenings this week include a book signing with Dina Cheney, author of The New Milks; 100-Plus Dairy-Free Recipes for Making and Cooking with Soy, Nut, Seed, Grain, and Coconut Milks (Atria/Simon & Schuster, May 3, 2016). See recipe from the book below. Community Plates is the not-for-profit organization of the week and Get Growing is sponsored by Whole Foods Fairfield. Join us this Thursday from 10 to 2 to support these organizations and nearly 40 local vendors, artisans, and makers. From Dina Cheney’s blog: Zucchini Fritters Makes 6 medium-sized fritters These gluten-free fritters are delicious hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold. Here I've sprinkled them with fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for flavor and color. 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium) 1 cup grated yellow summer squash (about 1 medium) 1 Tbsp grated red onion 1 large egg 1/2 cup corn flour or fine cornmeal 1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/2 tsp salt About 6 grinds black pepper 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon, cut into thin slices for garnish Place the grated zucchini, squash, and onion on a large clean dish towel, bundle up, and squeeze well to drain. Discard any liquid. Place the drained grated zucchini, squash, and onion in a medium bowl. Add the egg, corn flour, cheese, salt, and pepper, and stir just until combined. Brush the inside of a 10-inch nonstick skillet with the oil, and heat over medium-high. When hot, add six 1/4-cupfuls of the batter, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about four minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is similarly golden brown, about another four minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with lemon. Photo of zucchini fritters courtesy Dina Cheney, dinacheneycom.
