Zucchini Fritters

I recently saw a recipe for zucchini fritters on Mark Ruhlman's blog. Rather than following his recipe, though, I was inspired to do my own version, using breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese instead of egg and feta. In the end, they didn't stick together as well without the egg, but they were still very tasty!

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 red onion, minced
2-3 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon ancho powder (or other mild pepper)
1 pinch cayenne powder (or more if you like, or none if you don't)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
olive oil for frying

As Ruhlman notes, the key to a successful zucchini fritter is to get as much water out of the grated zucchini as possible. So, after grating, salt the zucchini and let it stand in a strainer while you get all your other ingredients ready. Once they are, you'll want to squeeze the zucchini to get even more water out: wrapping it cheesecloth is an ideal way to achieve this, but I use doubled up paper towels instead and that generally works fine.

With that done, you'll want to the oil in your pan and warming over medium heat: the oil should be deep enough to come halfway up the sides of the fritters. Now mix all the ingredients together well in a bowl and start forming fritters with your hands (Ruhlman suggests that you can use a 1/4 cup measure, but I think you'll end up with a better packed fritter if you do it by hand). Fry them in batches for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until they are well browned. Drain on paper towels, and, if you like, you can garnish them with fresh parsley and serve them with a dollop of sour cream.

Carrot, Carrot Top and Quinoa Soup

I'm always wondering what to do with the tops of the vegetables Farmer John sends along. Carrot tops taste a lot like parsley!

Adapted from this recipe at food.com.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cups water  + 2 tsp bouillon or dried soup stock OR 4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup carrots, tops washed and finely chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a 3-quart pot, sauté the onion in oil until translucent, then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Turnip and Carrot Purée

1lb Turnips
½ Small Onion
1lb Carrots
1tbsp Butter
1tbsp Honey
1tbsp Curry
Pinch of Sea Salt
Pinch of Nutmeg
Pinch of Cinnamon

Boil peeled and chopped turnips with onions, separately boil carrots.
Strain after boiling and mix all in a bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
I use a hand held blender this way I have greater control of the texture. If too thick add a 1/3 cup of cream or milk. For soup add the water from cooking the carrots or turnips, depends if you prefer bitter or sweet.