I hope you’re ready for some Middle Eastern food! For the next several weeks, along with some fabulous bloggers, I’ll be sharing a few recipes from Faith’s new cookbook An Edible Mosaic. Though I’ve never had a single piece of Middle Eastern food prior to this week, when Brandy asked me to join in on the fun I couldn’t say no…I was intrigued.

We’re kicking off the series with zucchini fritters. Faith described them as savory pancakes and suggests serving them with “olives, fresh tomatoes and a stack of flatbread.” I was *this* close to making potato pancakes or potato fritters to go along with these because my love for potatoes is seriously out of control. But yesterday I ate potatoes loaded with cheese and bacon for lunch…and then had the weirdest thought that maybe I’d eaten too much. Is there even such a thing when it’s something like that? Clearly I’m ill.

I agree with Gina that these are a lot like a mini frittatas. They’re eggy and full of sautéed zucchini and onion, with a hint of garlic and a dash of pepper. They smell truly incredible. Plus, I can’t get over how ridiculously simple they were to whip up.

If I’d only known how simple they were, it probably wouldn’t have taken me so long to get this weeks recipe done! I anticipated it being time consuming or messy. And while there is some frying involved it’s not dramatic splatter inducing kind of frying. Though to be honest, I did splatter myself with the first or second flip. A tip – don’t flip and splat the zucchini fritter down, gently flip the fritter over onto it’s uncooked side on the edge of the pan and slide it down back into the oil. No splatter. No pain.

If you love zucchini … or veggie packed frittatas these are a must make.

Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky
(Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Serves 4 as a part of a maza platter or 2 as a meal
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
¾ lb (350 g) zucchini (about 1 medium), grated
2 large cloves garlic, crushed in a mortar and pestle with 1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ bunch fresh parsley, minced
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until it
starts to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and cook until
softened and the water has evaporated, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; add the
garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
2. Lightly beat together the eggs, flour, parsley, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in
the zucchini mixture.
3. Add enough canola oil to a large nonstick skillet to lightly coat the bottom; heat the oil
over medium heat.
4. Drop the batter into the hot pan using a small (about 2 tablespoon) or large (about 4
tablespoon) scoop. Fry until set and golden on one side, about 2 minutes; flip and cook
until set and golden on the other side, about 1 minute.
5. Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil, and
cook the remaining egg mixture the same way, adding more oil to the skillet as
necessary.