2 pounds large zucchini, trimmed and grated on the wide holes of a grater or food processor
Salt
2 eggs
½ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as fennel, dill, mint, parsley (I like to use mostly dill)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs, more as necessary
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup crumbled feta
All-purpose flour as needed and for dredging
Olive oil for frying
Salt the zucchini generously and leave to drain in a colander for one hour, tossing and squeezing the zucchini from time to time. Take up handfuls of zucchini, and squeeze out all of the moisture. Alternately, wrap in a clean dish towel, and squeeze out the water by twisting at both ends.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and feta. Mix together well. Take up a small handful of the mixture; if it presses neatly into a patty, it is the right consistency. If it seems wet, add more breadcrumbs or a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour. When the mixture has the right consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan until rippling, or at about 275 degrees. Meanwhile, take up heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, and form balls or patties. Lightly dredge in flour.
When the oil is very hot, add the patties in batches to the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove from the oil, and drain briefly on a rack. Serve with plain Greek style yogurt if desired.
1 ½ pounds baby zucchini or summer squash (or use regular zucchini on the smaller side), ends trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
¼ cup torn basil or mint leaves, or a combination
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. (This will help you get a good sear.) Heat the oil, and when it shimmers, salt the zucchini and add it cut-side down in one layer (you will need to do this in two batches), and cook, undisturbed, until it begins to turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a serving plate; repeat with remaining zucchini.
While the second batch cooks, add the pepper to a small saucepan and toast over medium heat until it becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the butter (it will quickly foam), and stir until the butter melts and the foam subsides. Remove from heat. Quickly add the grated cheese and stir vigorously to prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pan. It will melt in spots, it will crisp in spots and it will form frico-like clumps.These are all good things!
Spoon the butter over the seared zucchini, making sure to catch all the black pepper and fried cheese bits, and shower with the herbs. Season with flaky salt, if you please.
4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks
Fine sea salt
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried oregano
Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
4 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 cup)
Black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped, pitted black or green olives
2 tablespoons torn basil or parsley leaves
Lemon wedges, for serving
Heat broiler. Brush a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil, then lay the zucchini out in an even layer. Brush zucchini with more oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and broil until golden in spots, 4 to 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss together bread crumbs, Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, herbes de Provence or oregano, red-pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 2 tablespoons oil and use your fingers to rub oil, garlic and anchovies into the crumbs.
When zucchini is browned on both sides, turn off broiler and set oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle zucchini with mozzarella, then bread crumb mixture; generously drizzle with oil. Bake until cheese melts and bread crumbs turn golden, about 4 minutes.
Grind black pepper over top and drizzle with more oil, if needed. Top zucchini with olives, basil and additional red-pepper flakes, if desired, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
