Cheddar Zucchini Fritters

I started making this recipe last summer and have been in love with it ever since!  I had subscribed to a CSA veggie basket and found myself with more zucchinis than I knew what to do with. I love chocolate zucchini cake as much as the next person but I wanted to do something different with my bounty.  I played around with this recipe a little to enhance the flavour as I found the original to be a bit bland. Dial back the spices if you like milder flavours.  Julie from the 'Dinner with Julie' website was recently looking for recipe ideas for excess zucchinis and she came up with a zucchini fritter variation that included feta (yum!) - trying this version is next on my list.

These fritters make an excellent side dish for a summer or fall supper - be generous with the sauce, you won't regret it. There are always plenty of zucchinis at local farm markets this time of year but they are also found year-round at the supermarket. If you want to make them on a hot summer day but do not want to use your oven, know that you can use a cookie sheet to bake them on your BBQ (bottom photo).

Cheddar Zucchini Fritters - adapted from Chatelaine.com

Ingredients:
2 small (or 1 large) zucchini 
1/4 cup (50 mL) cornstarch
11/2 cups (375 mL) grated cheddar, preferably old
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 egg white

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dry mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup Mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp horseradish
1/2 tsp vinegar
pinch sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). 
2. Coarsely grate the unpeeled zucchinis. Spread out over paper towels. Top with more paper towel and cover with heavy pot or dutch oven. Let sit for 10-20 minutes, changing the paper towel once during that time.
3. Turn grated zucchini into a large bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss to mix. 
4. Add cheese, onions, and spices. Stir to mix. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk egg white, then stir into zucchini mixture along with generous pinches of salt and pepper. 
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop about ¼ cup (50 mL) mixture onto baking sheet, then gently press down. Repeat with remaining mixture.
7. Bake in centre of preheated oven until fritters start to firm up and are golden on the bottom, about 15 min. Turn fritters carefully; they will be soft at this stage. Continue to bake until set and a deep golden on both sides, about 8 more min. Remove from oven and let stand a couple of minutes to firm up before serving.
8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix mayo, mustard, horseradish, and vinegar. If necessary, add small pinch of sugar to temper the tanginess of the sauce.
9. Serve fritters with a dollop of sauce.