Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Pepper Crème Fraîche

This year I planted a Romanesco Zucchini plant in my garden, and I've had a beautiful, abundant crop of striped green fruit all summer long. Sometimes its hard to come up with new ideas for the same produce over and over, but Zucchini is easy to use and the ideas just keep flowing (not that this idea is completely original, it has been made many times before). This is just my version topped with a little Lemon Pepper Crème Fraîche and fresh Lemon Juice for a zesty kick.

Zucchini Fitter with Crème Fraîche

Yield: About 15-20 Fritters

INGREDIENTS

For Fritters:

• 2 Large Zucchini, shredded and drained*

• Freshly Ground Sea Salt (for draining Zucchini)

• 5 Tbsp Fresh Chives, finely chopped

• 4 Tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped

• 1 Tsp Fresh Oregano, finely chopped

• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire1 Egg

• 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch1 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil (for cooking)

• Lemon Wedges (for garnish, optional)

For Crème Fraîche:

• 1, 8 oz. tub of Crème Fraîche**

• 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice

• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*To drain and pull moisture from Zucchini, place the shredded Zucchini in a colander (sitting in the sink or over a bowl). Sprinkle it with salt and toss together to coat with salt. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes so the salt can pullout the moisture. Squeeze excess water from Zucchini by placing it in paper towels, cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and wringing it dry.**You can also use Sour Cream for a thicker, more tart dressing.

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare Zucchini as detailed above.

2. Drain excess water off Crème Fraîche. In a small bowl combine Crème Fraîche, Lemon Zest and Juice and Pepper. Season to taste with Pepper. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

3. In a large bowl thoroughly combine together Zucchini, Chives, Basil, Oregano, Worcestershire, Egg, Flour, Corn Starch and Baking Powder.

4. Heat Olive Oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

5. Scoop out small spoonfuls (about a couple Tablespoons each) of the Zucchini mixture and place in the hot oil.

6. Once the fritters are a dark golden brown on the first side, flip them to cook on the second side. Cooking times will vary based on the temperature of your skillet, but should be about 3-5 minutes on each side.

7. Once both sides are a golden brown remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the oil. Continue to cook in batches until you've used all the Zucchini mixture.

8. Serve warm with the Crème Fraîche and Lemon Wedges. Squeeze Fresh Lemon over the top before eating and add a dollop of Crème Fraîche. Enjoy!