recipe / easy baked zucchini fritters /

For the past month we have been staying with my parents in Canberra, where we have been enjoying the sunny days at the height of an Aussie summer. Warm weather has always been synonymous with homegrown veggies from the garden and needless to say, dad's veggie patch did not disappoint this year. We've had all sorts of lovely vegetables growing in the garden but the one that really knows how to deliver is the zucchini plant. I'm sure we've eaten zucchini based foods at least four times a week for the past month.

A few weeks ago I was trying to find a way to use up the abundance of these giant summer squashes. Zucchini fritters seemed to be the way to go but I had such a hard time finding a simple, adaptable recipe that I could bake instead of fry. I loved this recipe and have used it more than a few times since.

The garlic and lemon sauce adds a lovely bit of flavour when serving but you could so easily add parmesan, red onion, shallots or herbs straight to the fritters to mix it up instead. I think this recipe is ready to take on anything. Follow your chef-y intuition.

Easy Baked Zucchini Fritters
(adapted from Wishful Chef's Baked Zucchini Fritters)

Makes about 24 small fritters

2 large or 3 medium zucchinis, grated

2 eggs

3/4 cup plain or wholemeal flour

1/4 cup light milk

Salt and pepper

Place the grated zucchini into a large piece of cheesecloth. Lift the corners of the cheesecloth up and squeeze out the excess liquid over a sink.

Combine zucchinis, eggs, flour, milk and salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl.

Measure out about a tablespoon sized ball of batter onto a tray lined with baking paper. Gently press down on the ball with the back of a spoon. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Leave to set in fridge for 30 minutes to one hour.

Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes, turning halfway.

 

Garlic and Lemon Dipping Sauce

1 cup of low fat natural greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 lemon, squeezed

Combine all ingredients in bowl.

playing tourist

Sometimes it takes returning to a familiar place to make you realise just how good it really is. When John and I moved to Ireland in 2012 it was just as exciting for him as it was for me, as it gave him the opportunity to see his home in a shiny new light. So taking him back to the small(ish) town that I've called home for all my life has afforded me the same experience. And that's exciting.

Canberrans truly are their own worst enemy. The city has a reputation for being home to lackluster politicians devoid of soul, abundant in roundabouts and with a distinct lack of things to do, but that couldn't be any less true. Well, maybe the roundabout thing. Having the opportunity to play a tourist in a city you've become so accustomed to just living in is really exciting. 

Over the past month we have drunk in bars that wouldn't have been out of place in trendy suburbs in London or Berlin, seen exhibitions collaborating pieces of art and literature from all around the world and bushwalked through families of kangaroos, all within a 20 kilometre radius. There aren't many cities in the world that can offer that.

The charm of Canberra comes from the fact that it's actually a melting pot of national and international exports. Canberra is a relatively new city, having only turned 100 in the last year. This means the population has built up from people from all around the country headed to the capital for job opportunities, international students coming to study at the highly acclaimed Australia National University and people who have visited and decided to stay for the safe, relaxed style of living mixed in with the stable economy and peppered with a touch of cultural satisfaction from the countless museums, festivals and exhibitions the city is privileged enough to host each year.

When we were exploring Ireland we were lucky enough to spend a year treading footsteps throughout the country but with limited time in Australia we've decided to spend our time with family and friends soaking up all that this charming little city has to offer. So we have visited Questacon and the Australian War Memorial, two really interesting museums that I haven't been to since I was about 10 years old. 

We've drunk copious amounts of sangria at the Canberra Multicultural Festival which was so packed with happy, jolly people that it took 20 minutes to walk 200 metres. We've camped in quintessentially Australian Wee Jasper, only an hour and a half from the city centre and swum in the ocean at Batemans Bay, an easy day trip of about the same distance.

I don't think that travelling the world has to mean escaping the ordinary of where you've come from. I think it means realising just how beautiful and unique every single city can be, Sometimes you just have to look a little harder in the places you least expect it.