It hasn’t been a great year for zucchinis. This La Ninã year has been so wet here, that they are only having a short life before succumbing to fungal diseases. The trombochino though is loving it. Because it climbs, the vines and fruit are up off the ground and get better air flow.
It’s the difference between growing commercially and home gardening, and one of the reasons why I think the permaculture is hard to monetise. Permaculture systems have a lot more value and productivity than can be easily turned into money. Commercial growers would grow one or the other. Too much variety and you don’t get enough of any one thing at one time to make up boxes for sale. Home growers are best off planting one or two vines of each, each month. You have insurance against weather conditions – too dry for trombochino and we eat zucchini, too wet for zucchini and we eat trombochino. January’s planting gets frizzled in a heat wave and December’s can bridge the gap. February’s planting gets 125 mm of rain in three hours and can’t learn to swim fast enough, and it’s ok, December’s is still hanging in there.
It means that even in this least zucchini friendly year for a long time, my repertoire of zucchini recipes is still getting a workout.
The Recipe
This Tuesday Night Vego Challenge recipe really does come together in a lot less than half an hour.
(makes about 15 patties)
Grate 180 grams of low fat feta cheese and 3 medium sized zucchini (about 1½ cups of grated zucchini).
Mix with
- a large spring onion, finely chopped
- a handful of sweet basil, finely chopped
- a clove of garlic, crushed or chopped
- one, or more, or less, chilis, finely diced
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup wholemeal self raising flour
Use wet hands to shape the mix into patties and shallow fry in olive oil till golden.
Serve with a salad or vegetables or as is, with a salsa or dipping sauce. We had it with the last of last year’s Chilli Jam. I’m waiting for the lemons now to make a new batch.
They look really yummy Linda, I’ll have to try these 🙂
I look the look of these – you seem to be making good use of the zucchinis you have had. Our weather has been so different I wonder if I could have grown them with success over the WA summer, but I’ve never planted zucchinis. Something to try!
I am a fan of a nice fritter and these sound great. A Italian neighbour of mine gave me some of the yummiest zucchini fritters the other days – they had a fair whack of chilli in them but I’m not sure what else and she keeps her secrets close to her chest. Perhaps this recipe is similar – looking forward to trying it.
We had risotto tonight – not the quickest of meals, but very tasty.
http://sarah.hudweb.net/2012/03/brown-rice-pumpkin-risotto.html
i love zuchinni patties and I have never made them with feta, i am so looking forward to that, now all i need is for the plant to grow! c
Hi Linda
I logged on at frist opportunity today to see what yummy temptation you have in store for us today. We are still enjoying the zucchini crumble. Thank you again. We have had an abundance of zucchini’s too and are searching for meal ideas that use a lot of zucchini. I am looking forward to having zucchini fritters for tonight.
YUM Linda thanks they look so good! My trombocino will not give up either they’ve clambered everywhere. I’m waiting for them to go so that I can get in Autumn crops but they give no signs of retreating! My other zucchini haven’t done well either. Too humid.
I just picked another whopper 2kg zucchini, so thanks I need a new recipe.
Mm, Zucchini is the one thing we have growing in our vegie garden at the moment (aside from herbs and rhubarb). I think I might try this tomorrow night. Thanks for all these fabulous recipes Linda, it’s great to have some inspiration coming into my email box 🙂
Kirsten
These are also great with a combo of cabbage, sweet potato and carrot.
And if you use rice flour they are gluten free.
Yum
I made your Zucchini patties for dinner tonight – they were fabulous!! We will be having these again. Thanks for the recipe.
My changes were – half mix as I only had one egg in the fridge. Used GF SR flour as I didn’t have WMeal. Used Sweet Chilli as my jar of chilli had gone off – had it really been that long since I used it?? Also added about 30gms of some left over Blue Stilton just to give it that little extra pizzaz and it worked.
Once again thanks.
I’m glad you liked them. I like the blue cheese idea – I shall try that!
I made these tonight substitutingyoung chokos but only needed two. Also, I used a young bitter melon instead of the chilli as I am told by my chinese friends that it is very good for you. I think the chilli or some curry pdr might have added to the taste. They were very tastey though.
I am inspired to experiment by your recipes. Thanks Linda.
P.S. I moved my hens along today and one got out. I thpught I would never get her in as my duck kept shepherding her away from me. I eventualy succeeded with the help of the stay-at-home hen. She began scratching and clucking as if she was calling her chickens and the other hen came to her call.