A Thrown-Together Summah Dinnah

In most aspects of my life, I'm a planner.  I plan what I'm going to eat for the week on Sunday.  I rely on shopping lists, to-do lists, pre-set goals, and timelines.  My personal planner is my life force, and I even write down when I'm going to work out each day.

With that being said, I'm always so proud of myself when I throw together a dinner without a lot of planning in advance.  I'm even happier when it comes out super tasty.  This happened on Tuesday night.  With leftover zucchini from my zucchini cupcakes, I decided to throw together some Zucchini Latkes for dinner with a side of tomatoes and basil.  Oh my, it hit the spot.  Try this recipe...

Zucchini Latkes
3 lbs. zucchini
1 1/3 cups plain fine dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
About 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Grate zucchini using medium shredding disk of a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

Squeeze zucchini in batches in a kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible. The latkes will not stick together well with a lot of liquid.  Squeezing the water out of the zucchini is the key to the recipe.

Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. 

Preheat oven to 200°F.   Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Scoop 2 tablespoon mixture per latke into skillet (6 to 8 per batch). Flatten with a fork to form 2 1/2-to 3-inch pancakes. Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side (adding more oil as necessary). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven.

...Why not pair this recipe with my new favorite beer, Bison Honey Basil Beer.

 (I always splurge on beer...bud light do not exist in my refridgerator.)