This past weekend felt like our first real summer weekend. There was an outdoor music festival, late night barbecues, balcony drinks amongst friends huddled around a candle, and a few hours relaxing with the new cookbook my sister's bought me for my birthday. Though I accomplished nothing on my weekend to-do list (that seems to be rather typical in the summer months), I was able to tag about half of the book, totally tantalized by her fabulous seasonal recipes. These fritters are a riff on Kimberley's "Sweet Corn and Squash Fritters" -- corn isn't around yet, and I can never get enough dill. Serve with a bed of greens or a side salad, and you have yourself a perfect summer lunch!
CHICKPEA, DILL AND YELLOW SQUASH FRITTERS // makes 8 fritters
Method adapted from Vibrant Food.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chickpeas (slightly less then 1 can)
1 cup grated yellow squash/zucchini
1 small thai chili or jalapeno, thinly sliced, seeds removed
4 green onions, only white and pale green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped dill
dash of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
2 T olive oil
1 avocado, for serving
What to do:
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl, and, using a fork, 'smash' through to create a mash - not totally smooth, but smooth enough. Add the grated squash, chili, onion, dill and salt and toss to combine.
In a separate, smaller bowl, beat the egg. Transfer to the chickpea mixture and mix thoroughly. Add 1/4 cup of flour and stir to combine. If mixture is too wet, add a bit more flour. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 T olive oil. Measure about 1/4 cup of batter and transfer it to the pan, lightly flattening with your spatula. (I fit four in my pan at a time, but use your judgement.)
Allow the fritters to sit, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then gently flip, and let sit for roughly 4 minutes until edges are golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add another tbsp of oil to the skillet and continue with the same method until you've used up all the batter.
Serve warm, with a heaping scoop of smashed avocado and a sprinkle of dill.