Zucchini Fritters

If you have any zucchini left in your garden, this is a great way to use them up. It takes a little time, but the results are well worth it. This is one of my favorite take-along picnic foods, but they're fantastic as a snack or light meal, too. They're wonderful dipped in marinara sauce.

Yield: 8-12 fritters
Start to finish: 45 minutes

Zucchini Fritters
2 T oil
1 onion, diced
2 medium zucchinis, grated (use the coarse side of a cheese grater)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out all the extra moisture you can. You can do this by hand - just get as much moisture as possible out of the zucchini.
2. Saute the onion and zucchini in 1 T oil for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic, and sautee until all the remaining liquid evaporates (about 5 minutes).
4. Put the zucchini mixture in a large-ish mixing bowl, and stir in eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and salt and pepper.
5. Add the remaining 1 T oil to your skillet. Place balls of zucchini mixture in the skillet and flatten somewhat with a spatula (or "pancake turner", if you're from that part of the country). I've found that using an ice cream scoop to make the balls gives me pancake-size fritters. If you'd like yours smaller, just scoop some of the zucchini mixture out with your hand.
6. Fry on both sides until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side.