Zucchini Puffs

A Call To Arms...

As any of you dear Readers who might have a vegetable garden know, if you plant more than just one zucchini seedling you will eventually regret it.. I mean to say, the zucchinis will decide to fruit prolifically, abundantly and with complete disregard for whether you have sufficient, or can stomach any more or not.

This year I -rather cleverly- staggered my plantings. Each going in a week or so after each other. I hoped by this approach to outwit the wily courgette and not give them a chance to control the garden. I am ashamed to admit, they outsmarted me...again.
Personally, I blame the rather slow start to summer and then the flooding rains that somehow stunted or kept the first plants in stasis allowing them to mature together with the later planted ones. Either that or they are smarter than I thought.

At first they beguile you with blossoms, imagine them stuffed with goats cheese, battered and fried to crisp perfection. 'Oh no' you cry 'don't pick them all' leaving just a few to grow larger. Do Not Turn Your Back! Not for a moment. The instant you do, the plant gives a mighty push and the little baby vegetable morphs into marrow mightiness that defies all explanation. Lurking under the leaves, or behind the tomatoes, just biding it's time.....

Another cunning weapon in this vegetables arsenal is it's amazing ability to divide and conquer. Just a glimmer of cooked courgette can turn a delightful family meal into a scene from Gerry Springer or give children and occasionally husbands, an instant illness that subsides only with the removal of the offending article. In fact, after such a meal it is not uncommon to find that it has somehow managed to escape the confines of the kitchen and spread to other places around the house. Some well known hiding places are behind the fridge, under napkins, in the dogs dish, or even in pockets. As your family would undoubtedly never waste good food, the only explanation is the zucchini spreading it's web of woe as far as possible.

Indeed the insidiousness of this vegetable is incredible. I believe in the battle of survival between zucchini and man, the only way to victory is to eat as much of it as we can possibly manage. I have compiled a recipe below that, if cooked correctly, may counteract the evil affects of the courgette and render it palatable, perhaps delicious. Take heart, there will be more to follow as we pick, stuff, fry, fritter, slice and bake our way to triumph!






Turkish Style Zucchini Puffs

2 large zucchinis
2 eggs
2 cups of SR gluten free flour
About a cup to cup and a half of lactose free milk- or some such
100 grm pkt Parmesan cheese- parmesan cheese has practically no lactose, but only do what's right for your body. You can leave it out, or grate some other cheese-like substance into it if you prefer
Garlic- as much as you like, I'd use a good spoonful
Half a bunch of dill, if you don't like that use mint instead
Zest of a lemon
Juice of a lemon

Oil for deep frying

Heat oil in deep fryer or on stove

Grate or shred the zucchini

Make a batter with the flour, eggs, cheese and most of the milk.

Add in everything else, mix well, and see if you need any more milk. I find that gluten free flours are fickle, and each brand has different requirements. The batter needs to be thick enough to stay together as a clump in the oil

Scoop spoonfuls of mix into the hot oil, turning once to make sure they're evenly browned

Drain on a cake rack over a pan for drips. If you just pile up the puffs they will steam and go soggy. This is the best way to keep them crisp. It's also the best way to reheat them in the oven.

For those of you who are afraid of deep frying, or those of us who no longer have a gall bladder to process extra oils, I found that you can also bake these in muffin pans for about 25mins. They aren't as textually pleasing without the crunchy edges, but still yummy.

Serve with a tzatikki or garlicky yoghurt dipping sauce.

So tell me, dear Readers, will you answer the call to arms and commit to consuming copious quantities of cunning courgettes?