Squash Fritters!

If you’ve been asking, “What in the HECK do I do with all this summer squash?” then you ought to keep reading. Or if  you like stuff fried in a little bit of oil. Or if you like to make awesome stuff with only 4 ingredients. Of you’re just curious, since you thought fritters were only found south of the Mason-Dixon line and only in the 1950’s.

I came home recently on a Saturday afternoon after a very long — but very inspiring — leadership conference with the amazing Simon T. Bailey. My head was reeling with new thoughts and possibilities. I was also hungry and exhausted. So, I was very happy to catch the aroma of these delicious fritters cooking up as I walked in. My mother-in-law had brought a few summer squash from her garden in Maine, and Mark was busy at the electric griddle frying up some squash fritters. I helped make the second batch, since it was clear we were going to plow through the first in a nanosecond.

The boys loved them just like their dad did when he was a kid — crispy and sprinkled with a little sugar. Georgia took a pass after one bite and moved on to leftover cold noodles. Clearly her palate is still under construction 😛

I approached my fritters from the savory side — hot off the griddle with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Simply divine. Crispy, egg-ilicious, with a little crunch from the squash. I tossed a quick salad with greens-n-stuff and my latest fave salad dressing (olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper) and I had me a good old-fashioned supper loaded with veggies. Doesn’t this make you want some right now?? Many thanks to my mother-in-law for bringing us her delicious bounty and for teaching Mark to make these easy fritters!

Squash Fritters
Makes ~10 4-inch fritters per large summer squash

1 large summer squash
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
3-4 tablespoons cooking oil

Preheat the oil in an electric griddle or skillet on medium high heat. Cut the summer squash in half width-wise. If the seeds are large, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, otherwise you can leave them in. Peel both halves, then shred the squash using a cheese grater or food processor. Mix the squash, egg, baking powder, and flour together in a bowl. Once the oil is heated, form the fritters by placing about 1/4 cup of the squash mixture in the pan, flattening the mixture with the back of a fork. Fry on each side about 5 minutes, until browned and crispy on the edges. Transfer to paper towels to absorb some of the oil, and serve hot.

ENJOY, Y’ALL 😉