Comfort food from Dad's garden. (Zucchini patties)

When  I was a kid, every spring Dad planted a garden.  We had fresh vegetables all summer long and little did we know we were eating "fresh, sustainable and organic produce".  Now we pay an arm and a leg for that very privilege.  Corn, asparagus, tomatoes (oh how I loved eating them right off the vine just as I would an apple!), watermelon, peppers, onions to name a few.

Dad always grew zucchini and Mom knew just what to do with the abundance.  My favorite zucchini dish was and still is zucchini patties.  Simple ingredients thrown together with an addicting result.  It's my idea of comfort food. 

Here's all you need to get started:
Zucchini, eggs,  flour, onion, cheese, and some oil for cooking.


If zucchini patties aren't something you've eaten before, give these a try.  Once you've had them, you'll make them 10 more times!

Now for the prep do the following:

Grate 2 cups of zucchini
Grate 1 cup sharp cheddar
Mince 1/4 cup of onion,
Slightly beat 2 eggs
1/4 cup flour

When this is ready, you are ready to put it all together. 

It's so quick and easy  you'll have time to sneak in an episode of "I love Lucy" reruns!

Toss together the zucchini, onions and cheese until well blended.  Sprinkle the flower in and mix thoroughly.  It should look like this when you're done, kind of dry and tacky.  I've tried throwing everything together all at once and it works, however this order just works better.  The coating mixing is even and easier to handle.

 

When the mix is fully incorporated then stir in the egg until it's nice and moist again.  It will have the consistency of thick pancake batter.








I use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to get this ooey gooey goodness into the pan in even batches. The cookie scoops are from Pampered Chef.  I've had mine for years.  They come in three sizes:  2 Tbsp, 1 Tbsp & 1 tsp.  If you'd like to get one or more for yourself you can order them from my website.  Due to contractual restrictions I cannot post a link to my website so simply eliminate the spaces when you plug it in your browser.  Here it is:  Pamperedchef.biz/ameliaautrey

See how they are mounded in the shape of the scoop?  I use the back of the same scoop to flatten them out just a bit, (see below).

Look how nicely they flatten out.  Cook them on medium-high  heat, like you would a pancake.  You'll need just a touch of oil in the pan so they don't stick.  You can use vegetable or olive, it doesn't make a difference.  Once I have them in the pan like this, I sprinkle each with salt and pepper.  I find if I season them at this point instead of the entire mixture, I use less salt which is always a good thing.



When they are golden on one side, it's time to flip those babies.



Now to plate and serve!  They are excellent hot off the grill or cold.  Serve them as a side dish or as the main course.  The are more versatile than two sided underwear!





This recipe will net you 14 patties.  You can make them larger if you'd prefer.  For all you Lazy Lizzies out there, you can even put them in a bar pan and bake them at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Check them as the depth of your pan will make a difference in how long they take to cook.  The edge pieces are the best part, all nice and crispy!  You may need a cigarette when you're done eating.    The good thing is they are hard to over cook.   So give it a shot!



As always, I'm interested in your comments and more specifically your reviews after you've tried them!  Oh, oh, oh...and if you have a hankering for a little spice, toss some minced jalapeno into the mix for a little kick.