Zucchini fritters

Being born north of Toronto (a stat that Justin likes to use to bolster my snow and cold credibility), I always am amused by the alarm elicited by a bit of snow in North Carolina. The first thing most Carolinians do upon news of a dusting of snow is visit the local grocery store to stock up on bread, eggs, milk, and beer. (I never understood the eggs and milk thing, given the possibility of losing power. Whatever.) Oh, and the lines are long!!!

While others drink beer, I drink Glogg, gifted to me by my dear friend Keri.

So, when work was closed early, I immediately headed to the grocery store. Um, what else would I do when gifted with a few extra hours and the possibility of being stuck at home for the night other than cook? And instead of making something characteristic of cold climates (e.g. chili, soup, hot chocolate), I decided to make something reminiscent of a warmer place and of course chose Spain. (Yes, I promised to fill my blog with tons of Spanish recipes in September after I returned from my honeymoon. Better late than never, right? And yes, I know that one is not a ton. Be patient!)

So the weatherman wasn't joking about this storm. This is the road. Impossible to drive (or walk our dog!)

So, today it'll be zucchini fritter tapas. These were awesome. And messy. (Don't let my brother in law tell you about the bomb I exploded in his kitchen when making fried green tomatoes. It was kind of like that, but Justin, not Spence, cleaned up the oily mess!)

Oh, and to maintain my new year's resolution  of revisiting my cookbooks, this recipe is from "Tapas, a Classic Collection of Spanish-Style Recipes."

Ingredients

1 lb baby zucchini
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika (I used smoked Spanish)
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
Corn oil, for shallow frying
Coarse sea salt

Pine nut sauce

Scant 2/3 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled (I used 2 and it was a tad too garlicy. You've been warned!)
3 tbsp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions

1 - Make the sauce first. Put the pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and blend to form a puree. With the motor still running, gradually add the olive oil, lemon juice, and water to form a smooth sauce. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn into a serving bowl.
2 - Cut zucchini on the diagonal into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Put the flour and paprika in a plastic bag and mix together. Beat the egg and milk together in medium bowl.
3 - Add the zucchini slices to the flour mixture and toss well together until coated. Shake off the excess flour. Heat the corn oil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch.
4 - Dip the zucchini slices, one at a time, into the egg mixture, then slip them into the hot oil. Cook the zucchini slices, in batches of a single layer, for 2 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown.
5 - Using a slotted spoon, remove the zucchini fritters from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve the fritters piping hot, lightly salted. Accompany with pine nut sauce.

Pepper jelly

Although it is only October, "Santa's Workshop" is in full swing! Wonder what "Santa's Workshop" is? Well, for the past 5 or so years, I've killed myself knitting Christmas presents for friends. One year it was these beautiful felted slippers (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/french-press-felted-slippers). Yeah, they were beautiful until I had to make 10-12 pairs. Yikes, they made quite the mess! Unfortunately I was too burned out to make myself a pair. :(

 

So, this year I've decided to gift my loved one culinary treats. Actually, it makes it a lot more fun. I've identified 5-6 smallish items to put in gift baskets. Every other weekend (one day only!) I destroy the kitchen in the name of Christmas. Justin is just so grateful that my knitting projects aren't everywhere that he happily helps with the cleaning. So, here is one of the first completed masterpieces!

Labels obtained here: http://www.myownlabels.com/ 

Recipe adapted from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Texas-Jalapeno-Jelly

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 medium green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces, divided
• 1-1/2 cups white vinegar, divided
• 6-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid fruit pectin
• Cream cheese and crackers

Directions

• Place lids and rings in water bath and sterilize over softly boiling water. Sterilize canning jars in dish washer.
• In a blender or food processor, place the jalapenos, half of the green peppers and 1/2 cup vinegar; cover and process until pureed. Transfer to a large Dutch oven.
• Repeat with remaining green peppers and another 1/2 cup vinegar. Add the sugar, cayenne and remaining vinegar to pan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat; skim off foam.  Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. (Be careful not to tighten lids too much. Fingertip tightening is all you need.)
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. with water up to neck of jars. Do not overfill jars!
• Remove from water bath and set on rack. You'll hear a popping sound that means the jars have sealed. 12-24 hours after you've finished, gently press on the center of each jar. If you can push the top down and it springs back with a pop, the jar hasn't sealed and you'll have to reprocess the cans (i.e. boil the lids and rings, place on jars, and reboil for 10 minutes). Make sure the jar lids are perfectly clean.
• Serve over cream cheese with crackers if desired.  
• Yield: 14 quarter-pints. 
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• Note - several folks on the original post mentioned that the jelly did not set. Make sure to follow the recipe directions as noted, especially with regard to the amount of time the pectin is boiled. Happy canning!