zucchini and corn fritters

Zucchini and sweet corn fritters

You need:
Zucchini, corn, cheese, flour, egg, parsley and mint.

• 400g small to medium zucchini, preferably a mix of green and yellow, and 1 or 2 zucchini flowers if available
• 1 freshly picked corn cob
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint and continental parsley (mixed according to preference). If you’ve washed the herbs, make sure they are quite dry before cutting them
• ½ cup cheese, chopped coarsely. We use marinated goats cheese such as Meredith Farm or marinated fetta from Yarra Valley Dairy because its easy to keep a jar of either of those in the fridge but you could buy a piece of fetta.
• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• olive oil for frying

Method:
Coarsely grate the zucchini without peeling it (the flecks of skin add texture and colour). Mix about ½ a teaspoon of sea salt into the zucchini and place it in a colander that you sit over a bowl for about half an hour. The zucchini will expel quite a lot of liquid and this stops the fritters becoming too watery. Discard the liquid.

Carefully peel the corn cob removing all of the silky threads and cut off the base so that it can stand flat on the table. Stand the corn cob on its base then, using a sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels from the cob. Twist the cob and repeat until most of the kernels have been removed. Warm about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the kernels and cook them for a few minutes, turning them all the time. They should quickly caramelise. Be careful. They might start to pop. Remove from the pan and allow to cool a little.

When you’re ready to make the fritters, squeeze the grated zucchini gently to remove excess fritters. Put the zucchini in a clean tea towel and roll it up. Twist both ends in opposite directions (it’s easier if two people do this) to remove more liquid. Now it should be quite dry. Add it to a clean bowl.

Add the corn, cheese, the chopped fresh herbs, chopped zucchini flower if using, and the egg. Stir the mixture gently to combine.

It’s a flexible recipe. Alone, or with a simple mint and yoghurt sauce and a few slices of ripe tomatoes or with slow-roasted tomatoes, it would make a great breakfast. With a salad, it can easily become a light lunch or dinner.

corn fritters

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn, fresh or canned
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar

Preparation:

Chop corn very fine and add salt, pepper, well beaten egg, melted butter, milk, flour and baking powder. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into deep hot fat (360 to 370°) Fry two to three minutes, until golden brown. Drain onto paper towels.

Thai sweet corn fritters with sweet chilli sauce

1 cup SR flour
2 cups courn kernels
2 green shallots, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup vege oil
sweet chilli sauce to serve

1. Combine flour, corn, shallot, chilli and turmeric in a medium bowl. Whisk milk, egg and fish sauce in a jug. Add egg mix to corn mix and stir to combine.
2. Heat oil in a large frypan. Add 2 tbsp mix to pan, 3-4 at a time and cook for 2 mins. Turn and cook for 2 mins or until cooked through.
3. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Polenta and Rosemary Bread with Fresh Sweet Corn

Ingredients

Serves 8 as a snack

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
60g parmesan
¼ cup cream
2 cobs sweet corn
2 cups coarse polenta
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
6 x 3 stalks rosemary
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C. Measure the oil into a small bowl, then use a pastry brush to lightly grease the base and sides of the baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with paper.

Grate the parmesan and combine with the cream in a bowl.

Put the polenta, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and mix well. Cut the kernels of corn from the cob. Add the corn kernels to this mixture.

Strip the needles of rosemary from the stalks and chop finely.
Put the rosemary, buttermilk and eggs into a medium bowl and whisk well.

Make a well in the polenta and tip in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix well and form a batter. Tip or spoon the batter into the prepared dish.

Spread the parmesan/cream mixture over the batter.

Bake for 30 minutes. Test by inserting a skewer. The polenta bread will be cooked if the skewer comes out dry and clean.

Remove the bread from oven and allow to cool in the dish for at least 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Cut the bread into slices and serve toasted or as is with butter.

Barbecued corn with tahini herb butter

8 corn cobs
185 g butter, softened
2 tbsp softened
salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley.

1. Combine butter and tahini in a medium bowl. Season. Add herbs. Freeze or chill for 5 minutes.
2. Add butter mixture to corn and wrap in foil.
3. Heat bbq grill until hot. BBQ the corn, turning occaisonally until cooked through, 15-20 mins.