My Yiayia Artanoula was known for her Kolokithokeftedes! She was my dad’s mom that lived in Kefalonia. They are Greek zucchini fritters. A mixture of grated zucchini, fresh herbs, and of course feta cheese. Fried into patties.
You can find them on the menu of nearly every Greek taverna you come across. They are usually served with tzatziki. If I have not made tzatziki, plain Greek yogurt will do. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil if you will, and you have a very quick dip.
She was a talented seamstress.
She and my pappou were very much in love, and even though she had lived decades after his passing, and well into her nineties, she could still recite the poems that he had written for her from memory. She was from the generation in Greece that had endured famine, but she never allowed the hardships to extinguish her joy. She was always full of love and laughter, and everyone knew her by name.
Unfortunately, I never got to taste her cooking. My aunt, who took care of her, was the one who made she we were well fed when we visited them in the village.
I use a mixture of both breadcrumbs and flour with egg to create a good binder so that you can actually roll the mixture. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out even sized patties. I shallow fry them in a pan.
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
3 scallions
1 tbsp of fresh mint
3 tbsps of fresh dill
3 tbsp of fresh parsley
1 cup of feta (crumbled)
1 large egg (or 2 medium)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Directions:
Grate the zucchini. Salt it & drain in a colander for 30 minutes. A lot of liquid will be released.
Add all other ingredients & mix well. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes so that the ingredients bind.
Scoop them out and shallow fry in olive oil. I use a cookie scoop to scoop out small scoops, roll them add then slightly flatten them into small thick disks.
These are great served with tzatziki or plain yogurt.
Kali Oreksi!
on xenia street 