Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini
• 1 t coarse salt , or more to taste
• 2 scallions , split lengthwise and sliced thin
• 1 large egg , lightly beaten
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ C whole wheat flour
• ½ t baking powder
• oil for frying
• 1 C sour cream , or plain, full-fat yogurt, for serving (optional)
• 1-2 T lemon juice , to serve (optional)
• ¼ t lemon zest , to serve (optional)
• pinches of salt , to serve (optional)
• 1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic , to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Trim zucchini and grate on large holes of box grater or shred with a food processor.In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 t salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring excess water out of zucchini and discard water.
2. Return zucchini to bowl. Add more salt to taste, if you like. Stir in scallions, egg, and ground black pepper. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Stir the mixture into the zucchini bowl.
4. In a large and heavy skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet, a few at a time. Flatten them a bit with the back of the spatula. Cook fritters until the edges underneath are golden, about 3-4 minutes. If the edges are becoming golden faster than this, reduce the heat a bit. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath, about2-3 more minutes.
5. Optional topping: Stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and zest, salt and garlic. Dollop on each fritter before serving.