These crisp, sweet-savory fritters are a great way to get even the pickiest anti-veggie eaters to eat seasonal vegetables.
Fritters are a great way to use up seasonal vegetables in a fun, delicious way that will appeal to most anyone—kids, vegetarians, and picky eaters alike. Now, when I say fritter, I don’t mean deep-fried, apple-stuffed donuts (and I certainly don’t mean the turducken of donuts). These are the shredded vegetable type, lightly held together with batter or breadcrumbs, and pan-fried in just enough oil to cook the vegetables to tenderness and create a crisp crust.
In the summertime, I use up an abundance of zucchini by shredding it, mixing it with plenty of herbs and feta, and then cooking them into golden bites of heaven (check out the recipe for Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Yogurt-Herb Dip). Sweet corn, folded into a delicate batter, makes a great bite-sized fritter appetizer, and a new and interesting way to use all the corn piled high in the markets.
In the wintertime, when there are fewer vegetable options—let’s be honest, I’m a summer veggie kind of gal—I get bored pretty quickly once I’ve run through the standard roasted root vegetable, kale salad, pureed winter squash recipes. Plus, in my household, I don’t find winter veggies to be nearly as kid-friendly. Or me-friendly!
Enter root veggie fritters. Basically just an updated version of a potato latke (always a winner in my book), these fritters are colorful and flavorful and will liven up your winter veggie blues! Here, I’ve used carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, but you can mix it up and experiment with whatever root veg you like.