Month: August 2011

Indian Spiced Zucchini Fritters in Tomato Sauce

If I ever write a book, it just might be titled “101 Ways to Prepare Zucchini”.  If you do a search for zucchini —–> there are a startling number of entries.  But I haven’t yet combined my fondness for Indian food with my zucchini obsession.  I am pretty sure this is not an authentic Indian dish, but it worked for me.  I started with this recipe for Indian meatballs, and then made it my own.

Normally, you’d expect an item named “fritter” to be deep fried.  But you probably already guessed that I baked these.  If you really want that crispy coating, go ahead and fry them, I am sure they’d be great.  The batter is very delicate though, so just be careful and handle them gently no matter which method you use.

 There’s no doubt about it, the fritters are spicy!  They would be fantastic tucked into a fresh piece of naan, and the bread could be used to scoop up the tomato based sauce as well.  Since I didn’t have any naan, I packed these fritters into lunches on a bed of brown rice, with some plain yogurt on the side to help tame the heat.  It’s a great dish, packed with vegetables and spice, and just one more way to use up that zucchini.

 

 

Indian Spiced Zucchini Fritters in Tomato Sauce

3 medium or 2 large zucchini, shredded
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 large onions, minced and divided
1/2 t ground ginger
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2 T olive oil, divided
1/4 t turmeric
Dash cayenne pepper
1 t ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 t garam masala
Salt to taste

1.  Place shredded zucchini in a strainer over a bowl and press with a fork.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes, occasionally tossing with a fork.  Be sure to reserve liquid for a later step.

2. Mix drained zucchini with jalapeno pepper, 1/4 c.  minced onion, ground ginger, and whole wheat flour.  Form into 12-15 balls.  Pour 1 T olive oil on a baking sheet.  Gently roll zucchini balls in oil, and bake at 350F for 30 minutes, turning once.

3. Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in a large frying pan, and add remaining minced onion to pan.  Cook on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes until onions are well browned.  Add turmeric, cayenne, cumin, and coriander and mix well.  Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add 1 c. reserved liquid from zucchini, adding water if you do not have a full cup.  Cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove cover and add garam masala and salt to taste.

4. Add zucchini fritters to the pan gently, and cover the pan.  Heat on low for 5-10 minutes.

-Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey “World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook”

Swiss Chard and Brown Rice Bake

After surveying my purchases from the Brookline Farmer’s Market, it was clear that the Swiss chard from Enterprise Farm was the most delicate, and needed to be used first.  That’s not a problem, since it’s a versatile vegetable.  I’ve used Swiss chard in soup and curry, and paired it with both pasta and potatoes.

This time I decided to pair the Swiss chard with brown rice, inspired by this recipe for Brown Rice, Feta, and Swiss Chard Gratin.  You could assemble this faster if you had leftover rice (or another whole grain) on hand, but instant brown rice only takes 5 minutes.

It was delicious hot from the oven on the first day, but I cut the rest into squares that are perfectly portable.  It’s a simple, almost rustic, dish that would make an easy meal.

 

Swiss Chard and Brown Rice Bake

1 T olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch Swiss chard, leaves torn and stems chopped
1 1/2 c. (dry) instant brown rice, cooked according to package directions and cooled
1/2 c. Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, shredded
3 eggs, beaten
2 t fresh thyme

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add onion and Swiss chard stems, and cook for 10-15 minutes until softened.  Add Swiss chard leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted.  Set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl, mix rice, cheese, eggs, thyme, and cooked vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into an 11″x7″ or 8″ square glass baking dish, and cook for 20-30 minutes at 350F.

Brookline Farmer’s Market

It’s August already!  The summer is flying by, but it’s peak season for some of my favorite vegetables.  And they’re especially great when grown locally.  I’ve been hitting farmer’s markets here and there this summer, including my visit to Allandale Farm.  Last week I made a special trip to the Brookline Farmer’s Market, accompanied by my friends Sarah and Vanessa.  The market is on Thursday afternoons right in Coolidge Corner.

Just look at all the fresh produce, like the familiar Swiss chard, corn, and lettuce:

 

 

And some (new to me) items, like purple peppers, white currants, and two toned squash:

 

 

Farmer’s markets are often a great chance to try new produce.  (Remember the watermelon radish from the winter market?) We decided we had to try these guys, lemon cucumbers:

My friend Marsha was working at the market, and told us they they had a light taste, with just a hint of lemon.  She was right, and here’s what they look like on the inside.

It was tough to decide what to buy – I wanted it all.  I ended up taking home lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard, lemon cucumbers, zucchini, and beets.  They have a wide variety of items at this market including turkey, beef, bread, goat cheese, fresh pasta, and ice cream.  Next time I will come to the market with some cold packs, and I am not leaving without trying the ice cream. 

My first order of business that night was a fresh and local salad, topped with my favorite Honey Mustard dressing. 

Every day this week, I’ll feature a dish I made with my local produce.  It may already be August, but there’s still plenty of time to scope our your local farmer’s market and load up on fresh fruits and vegetables.  Thanks to Sarah and Vanessa for prompting this trip, I had a great time!