the arugula files

Zucchini Fritters (What Would the Canal House Ladies Do?)

On Saturday, after I made my zucchini "spread the love bread," I had about one pound of shredded zucchini left over.  Not enough for another loaf of bread, but too much to toss.  I asked myself what the Canal House ladies would do (WWTCHLD?) and of course they would make zucchini fritters for lunch.  So that's just what I did.  I used this recipe. 

One of the most important steps in making zucchini fritters is to wring out the water that oozes from the shredded zucchini after it's shredded and salted.  Otherwise you end up with soggy fritters that are impossible to crisp.  Usually wringing out the water is done with a cheesecloth, but I didn't have one so I used paper towels.  Paper towels work equally well.  The problem is that you have to use about eight sheets, so after you are done you feel like you just exploited Brazil's rain forest.  Note to self, I bet the Canal House ladies have a whole drawer full of cheesecloths.

If you are not reading it, you must: Canal House Cooks Lunch.  It's like a daily horoscope for people who love food.

Also: top your zucchini fritters with this or this.  You will thank me later.

Zucchini Spread the Love Bread

For all the gardeners out there looking to unload zucchini: I'll take it.  Seriously.  Spread the zucchini love. There's always room for zucchini in my kitchen.  I put it in ratatouille or in panzanella salad and I also make a pasta dish that features zucchini and roasted tomotoes with basil, a spin on a dish called rigatoni del rosario, served at a place where, a very long time ago, I waitressed to pay college tuition.

 

I love zucchini so much that imagine my surprise when I noticed that my right sidebar has a tag for kale, but not zucchini. This here bread changed that.  It's a classic zucchini bread.  You can add raisins or walnuts.  I left mine plain.  Just bits of earthy green, mixed with brown sugar.  Add a little knob of butter and call it eating your vegetables for breakfast.

 

I call it love bread because it's the kind of loaf you can make in minutes with your zucchini surplus and then pass on. I'm dropping this one off to the kind, loving woman who takes care of Josie during the day.  

Spread the zucchini love.