We've just had the best week of our Summer 2015 - it started with Anthony Bourdain and ended with the Blue Angels. I suppose you could say we went from the bad to the good, because Bourdain is definitely a bad boy, naughty in every way, but he was anything BUT bad when he showed up to a packed house at the Paramount last week. Bourdain, (chef, author, TV personality, multiple Emmy winner) wearing his signature jeans and t-shirt, was alone on the stage for his Close to the Bone Tour, no props, no background, no nothin' - just Tony and his wildly wicked thoughts. For 90 minutes he entertained us with stories from his travels, took questions from the audience, trashed almost everyone on Food Network, including Guy Fieri, who he hates with a passion so deep I'll bet it would register on the Richter Scale! It was great giggles of fun - the mister and I are looking forward to watching the new season of his show, No Reservations on the Travel Channel this fall.
As you can see, my Selfie Skills have improved significantly! In the past, I would have just had the ceiling in the picture, but now, with practice, I've got part of our heads! Won't be long before noses appear and dare I hope for a full face or two?!?!
How does one follow Bourdain? With a staycation at the beach, that's how! The mister and I planted our behinds in the sand and enjoyed a day of people watching and treasure collecting. If you live in the Seattle area and you haven't been to Golden Gardens Park, whaddya waiting for?!? It is the best beach we've got, in my humble opinion...and if you stop at Paseo (yes, it's back in business!) on Fremont (in Fremont) and buy their Cuban sandwiches and take them with you to the beach, well folks, it just doesn't get any better than that!
Millions of people in Seattle and hardly any of them were at the beach! We do live in a beautiful place, no?
These were my treasures from the beach...I let them sit in a couple of cups of water with a bit of bleach and they come out shiny and so pretty...I'd rather have beach treasures than almost anything, just so you know. The starfish was also one of my finds...but before you go sea-creature-crazy and report me to the Echinoderm Society for murdering a starfish you should know it was dead when I found him...or I would have thrown him back in the sea! I am not a starfish murderer! The mister tried to tell me it was an octopus, because of all the legs, but starfish can have a lot of legs, not just 5 like the common starfish have...so there mister!
Seafair in Seattle is always the first weekend in August and that's when the Blues fly. haven't missed a Blues outing in 22 years!! From my little spot on the western shores of Lake Washington we watched the Blues scream overhead for their practice show last Friday. What a day - blue skies, the mountain was out, boats, water and the Angles overhead...I'm telling you straight, nothing beats the Blue Angels over Lake Washington! Nothing!
Looking east across the pond is the city of Bellevue, which used to be a blip on the map - now look at it! It's almost as big as Seattle! You can hear every language in the world just walking down the streets in Bellevue and you can get any kind of food there, too; Bellevue is one giant international food court! Look at all the boats - hundreds and hundreds of them - and this was for the practice show!! We only go to the practices, the real shows are on Saturday and Sunday and the crowds are twice as big - we're not that crazy!
Not only do we have a great spot (if you look closely you'll see Mt. Rainer and the I-90 Floating Bridge in the background) we always have great food, including a really, really good dessert! This year I made a plum tart (thank you for the plums Nancy!) which we enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...that was sort of a mini-miracle since it was 95 degrees outside and the ice cream was still hard!
So what does all of that have to do with zucchini fritters? Glad you asked! When one has one spectacular day after another, sitting in the sun, frolicking in the sand and surf, all followed with Angles soaring in the heavens above, one is, well, tired when one gets home, am I right? So slaving in a hot kitchen was the last thing on my mind...yet I wanted something really good to eat...and believe me, these are good! Worthy of dinner after a perfect day!
Also, it is zucchini season and there are only so many ways to use up zucchini! I was gifted several zucchini (thank you again, Nancy!) and this was the only thing I wanted to do with them - a decision I don't regret, and you won't either. They are crispy, flavorful - thanks to fresh basil - and as good the day after as they are the day you make them!
Zucchini Fritters - Pots and Pins
Technically, these are not fritters, as they are flat and not puffed up like a real fritter...they are more like latkes (potato pancakes) than anything else but the word fritter makes me happy. These are great as an appetizer, a side or as the main course with a side salad - see? Very versatile, who'd a thunk?!?
2 medium zucchini, washed, dried and grated (do not peel)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 green onion, finely diced
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable or olive oil for frying
sour cream and lemon slices for serving, optional
In a medium bowl combine the grated zucchini, Parmesan cheese, green onion and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a small dish, lightly beat egg with a fork, then add to zucchini mixture. Add flour and stir until combined.
Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to completely cover bottom of pan, about 1/4-inch deep, and heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches, add 2-tablespoon mounds of the zucchini mixture to the hot oil, pressing lightly to flatten them a bit, so they make about a 3-inch in diameter fritter. Fry, until browned and crisp, then turn over and fry on other side until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes total frying time. Drain the fritters on the paper towels and serve right away, with a dollop of sour cream and/or lemon wedges, if desired.