Happy Friday!!! It's been weeks since I've been able to share a Famous Fridays and today I'm so excited to bring to you Sara Moulton's newest, incredibly helpful and useful offering, Home-Cooking 101 and these wonderful and perfectly seasonal Zucchini Patties with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce and Carrot Slaw in a handy dandy pita pocket. Whether you're drowning in an abundant crop of the green stuff or just looking for a light vegetarian meal, you are going to love this and Sara's book! Yippee! It's Friday!!

If you've been with the blog for a while, you'll see that Sara is no stranger to these pages. I've already shared her Israeli Couscous with Mushrooms, Peas and Sweet Potato Sauce, her Roasted Vegetable and Fresh Ricotta Sandwiches and these terrific Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips and made many more of her recipes over the years. She's not only a terrific chef but a great teacher as well and that is what 101 is all about. The book is dedicated to helping its readers become better, more comfortable home chefs. It would be a great primer for any beginner but also equally useful to more experienced cooks. In addition to a wide variety of dishes, spanning all three meals of the day and more, there are terrific techniques and helpful hints throughout the book as well as gorgeous color photos. Which is how these zucchini patties caught my eye. The minute I saw them I knew they were going to wind up in my kitchen in the near future!

These are like nothing I have ever made before and everyone in my family loved them! First off you prepare a simple garlicky yogurt sauce that would also be a great party dip and comes together in just minutes. 

Next up are the zucchini patties. After grating the zucchini, you sprinkle them with salt and let them drain for a while, eventually squeezing even more moisture out by hand. The drier the zucchini, the less soggy your patties will be!

Once that's done, you simply mix everything together and form little burger-like patties-- 

Which you pan fry until golden and crispy. Yum!!

Next, you toss together a no-fuss carrot slaw. 

Then all that's left to do is assemble the pitas. Creamy zingy sauce, crunchy lettuce and carrots and warm, slightly soft but also marvelously crunchy zucchini patties make the ideal filling! Every bite is an explosion of flavor and texture! 

Just right for warm summer nights! 

So pick up a copy of Home-Cooking 101 and treat yourself or someone you love to a whole slew of new tried and true recipes and more successful kitchen experiences. And have a great and delicious weekend, enjoying (gulp) the last of July!! See you next week!!! 

Home Cooking 101's Zucchini Patties with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce and Carrot Slaw-Famous Fridays

Makes 5-6 servings

It's not absolutely necessary, but it helps to have a food processor for this. 

Prep Time for patties:  35 minutes (much of this is not active) Prep time for sauce:  5 minutes; Prep Time for carrot salad: 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt  
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the patties

• 3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained  
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup minced onion  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped  
• 6 pitas with pockets, halved  
• Shredded lettuce (optional) 

For the carrot salad

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar  
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups coarsely grated carrots

The Recipe

1.   Preheat oven to 200º F. In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Chill if you won't be using it right away.

2.  To make the patties:  coarsely grate the zucchini in a food processor. Drain in a colander and toss with the teaspoon of kosher salt. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe out the food processor, fit it with the cutting blade and add the chickpeas and the water. Process until almost totally smooth. 

3.  In a large skillet (preferably nonstick) heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Don't wash the skillet yet.

4.  Take small handfuls of the zucchini and squeeze out the excess water over the sink. Add the dried handfuls to the bowl with the onions. Then add the puréed chickpeas, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper and mix together well, like you would for meatballs or meatloaf. You can use your hands if you like. Make 16 small balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and the flatten them into ½ thick patties. 

5.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet over medium heat and add half the patties. Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side into golden brown, turning them only once. Transfer the cooked ones to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Add rhe remaining oil to the skillet and repeat with the rest of the patties. 

6.  While the patties are cooking make the carrot slaw. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the grated carrots and toss well. 

7.  To assemble the pitas:  stuff some lettuce into each pita pocket and then add 2-3 patties and some of the carrot slaw. Drizzle sine of the yogurt sauce on top and serve immediately, with more of the sauce on the side for dipping. 

8.  Patties can be made earlier in the day and reheated. Sauce and slaw can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. 

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from Home-Cooking 101 by Sara Moulton. I left out the cumin, coriander and fresh mint from the patties cause I'm a slice wussy but if you like those flavors, add 'em in!!