This was our first foray into fritters, and we felt they turned out fairly well.  If you’re not familiar with them, fritters are basically flattened little patties held together with egg and flour and flavored with various main ingredients (depending on the type of fritter) such as corn, apple or, in this case, zucchini.  Adding feta cheese, dill and green onions gives a little flair to the fritter flavor with a bit of tang and bite.  Fast, easy to make and relatively healthy, zucchini fritters are a fun, filling, meat-free alternative main course — especially in summer, when you might be feeling like having lighter fare than you would during the more frigid months of the year.

The recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated’s Fall 2010 magazine, “30-Minute Suppers,” which is a great source for quick weeknight meals.  Start by shredding the zucchini (after cutting off the end pieces.)  As the folks at Cook’s Illustrated recommend, shredding the zucchini against the large-hole side of a box grater works best.

Toss the zucchini with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and allow it to drain in a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl or the sink for about 15 minutes.  Draining the zucchini keeps the fritters from falling apart while they cook and helps them form a brown and crispy outer crust.

Further drain the zucchini by placing it in a clean kitchen towel and wringing out any excess moisture.

This was a far from frivolous step, since we were able to wring out quite a bit more liquid from the formerly-strained zucchini.

Combine the zucchini with 2 cups crumbled feta cheese, 2 chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the zucchini mixture and toss it all together.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (we actually used coconut oil, which we have been experimenting with lately) in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Drop 4 portions of batter into the skillet and use the back of a spoon to press them into patties.  Cook the fritters until they are browned on both sides — about 3-5 minutes per side.  Transfer the cooked fritters to a cookie sheet in the oven heated to 200 degrees to keep warm, and continue frying the fritters in formations of 4 until they are all done.

We served the fritters with homemade ranch dressing for dipping and a tomato & olive side salad.  Fantastic!