I like to buy vegetables in small quantities to retain freshness, and I try to use them within few days of purchase. Having grown up eating canned, boiled, overcooked veggies, I’m always looking for new ways to cook them so that they retain some flavor and bite when they’re done. I hit the jackpot with these veggie fritters. Although this recipe calls for grated fresh veggies, it’s also a good way to use up any leftover cooked vegetables. I like to serve these fritters with fried fish or baked chicken for a light meal. Sometimes I fry them up, drop some thousand island dressing or a heavy dollop of sour cream on top, and snack on them all by themselves.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 small carrot, grated
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons canola oil

Optional
sour cream

TOOLS
chef’s knife
cutting board
grater or food processor
paper towels
large (5-quart) bowl
measuring cups and spoons
cooking spoon
medium (10-inch) skillet
ice cream scoop or large spoon

METHOD
1. Wrap grated zucchini in a few thicknesses of sheets of paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place grated zucchini in bowl.
2. Add remaining vegetables, 1/4 cup flour, beaten egg, and spices. Mix well until mixture begins to pull away from bowl. If mixture is very wet, mix in additional flour, one tablespoon at a time.
3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until it begins to shimmer.
4. Place a scoopful of vegetable mixture into hot oil.  Flatten down to about a half inch to form patties, leaving at least an inch of space between them.
5. Fry until golden brown–about 3 minutes per side–then drain on paper towels.

NOTES & TIPS

• Avoid adding too many patties to the oil at once. Overcrowding the skillet lowers the oil’s temperature causing fried foods to be greasy and soggy rather than crispy.

READY IN
20 minutes

YIELD
4 large patties or 6 small patties