Zucchini and Corn Fritters

By mid-July, zucchini and sweet corn are both arriving at the farmers market in force. Fritters are one of the best ways to use them — quick to make, crispy on the outside, tender inside, and good enough to eat standing over the pan. Serve them as a side dish, a snack, or top them with a fried egg for a simple summer dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb total), grated
• 1½ cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from about 2 ears) or frozen corn, thawed
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, or basil)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

For serving:

• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Extra fresh herbs

Instructions

1. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much water as possible. This step is critical — wet zucchini makes soggy fritters.

2. In a large bowl, combine the squeezed zucchini, corn, scallions, eggs, flour, Parmesan, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir until just combined. The mixture should hold together when pressed — if it’s too wet, add a tablespoon more flour.

3. Heat 2–3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

4. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of batter per fritter into the pan, pressing gently to flatten to about ½ inch thick. Cook in batches — don’t crowd the pan or they’ll steam instead of crisp.

5. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add more oil between batches as needed.

6. Serve hot with sour cream or yogurt on the side.

Tips

• Squeeze the zucchini well. This is the most important step. Zucchini holds a surprising amount of water — if you skip this, the fritters will be soft and won’t crisp up properly.
• Cut the corn fresh. Stand an ear of corn upright in a bowl and cut downward with a sharp knife. The bowl catches the kernels as they fall.
• Keep them warm. Place finished fritters on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest.
• Make them gluten-free. Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend or almond flour. Both work well here.

Where to find the ingredients

Zucchini typically starts appearing at Washtenaw County farmers markets in early-to-mid July and is one of the most abundant crops through August. Sweet corn usually arrives by mid-July. Look for both from Tantre Farm, Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Jacob’s Fresh Farm, Green Things Farm, Fusilier Family Farms, and Old City Acres. Fresh herbs and scallions are available throughout the summer at all four Washtenaw County markets.