Zucchini Fritters with Tomato Chutney

I have been blessed with many visitors this past week due to the early blooms of the Cherry Blossoms. My grandparents rolled through town on their way back north from Florida this past Tuesday. We spent a wonderful afternoon strolling through the blossoms and taking in the authentic DC restaurant scene at Old Ebbitt's Grill downtown. My Nana had never seen the blossoms in full bloom and we couldn't have picked a more perfect day to take in the sites. We were all surprised by how white the actual blossoms were at full peak. 

Nana and Pa Haman

The weather was absolutely amazing and put me into the an early spring mood! Bring on the warmer weather. Next into town, were my fabulous parents who came in for a long weekend. I was crossing my fingers for the weather to hold out but mother nature did not want to cooperate. So pulling on our rain coats and popping out the umbrellas we ventured out in the misty rain for a much different scene at the blossoms. 

Mom and Dad

Well, apparently the color comes towards the end of the peak because they had a richer pink color that day. So while we did have to put up with a little bad weather we were rewarded with a unique experience that included gorgeous color. And since the parents were in town I was treated to a stock piled fridge! Thanks Mom and Dad :) 

So what was a girl to do with all this fresh produce and warm weather on her mind but put together a delicious spring supper. I used this recipe, Zucchini Fritters, as a starting point and used what I had on hand. The original recipe uses stewed grape tomatoes but I wanted to use up a can of diced tomatoes I had, plus speed up the cooking time because yes I was hungry! 

Zucchini Fritters

2 smaller zucchinis, rinsed and grated

4 scallions, finely chopped (reserve 1 Tbsp. for garnish)

1 egg

Zest of 1 lemon

Scant 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine grated zucchini, scallions, egg, zest of lemon, parmesan, and ricotta until incorporated then fold in flour, season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large frying pan. Create small fritters with about 1/4 cup of mixture and flatten before placing in hot oil. Cook fritters for about 5 minutes each side on medium high heat (olive oil will begin to smoke if over high heat so be sure to reduce the heat). Remove from pan and cool on paper towel lined plate. Serve with tomato chutney(recipe below). 

Tomato Chutney

1- 15 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until tomatoes begin to reduce and thicken about 6-7 minutes. 

The fitters came out crisp on the outside with pillowy insides. The tomato chutney added a nice sweet and sour finish. The lemon zest and scallions are a must to add a brightness and fresh pop of flavor. This would be a wonderful starter to a more substantial meal or used as a main dish with a side salad for lunch. 

I am so thankful to have a family that is willing to travel hours just to spend a little time with me. I had a wonderful week full of great memories I will cherish. These kind of weeks remind me of how lucky I am to live in a city as beautiful as DC and to have the people that I do in my life. If you have never had a chance to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom in person, I highly recommend you carve out a spring weekend end of March/beginning of April to check it out. Be sure to check ahead of when they will be at peak bloom because it only lasts about a week. 

Jefferson Memorial