Zucchini, Corn and Poblano Pepper Fritters

All signs point to fall arriving. Evenings are cool enough to suddenly require a sweatshirt and if you look closely, a few trees have a touch of yellow creeping into their leaves. Obviously the kids are back at school and avoiding getting stuck behind a yellow school bus takes strategy and a bit of luck. Football is back on and making a pot of soup actually has some potential versus a few weeks ago when there was no way I was turning on my stove and adding even one degree of heat to the already stifling temperatures.

And while there might be an abundance of signs a new season is here, I’m feeling a little nostalgic another summer is fading away for another year. When I look back on the last few months it was filled to the brim with kid activities and hours and hours at the Naches pool for swim team. We watched baseball and soccer and drove hours to deliver a son to lacrosse camp. There were road trips, time at the lake and late night movies. The pantry was almost always empty and the house vibrated at a barely-contained level of chaos almost all the time. And I already miss it. The house feels too quiet all day while the kids are at school. Even the dogs seem a little sad without their constant buddies.

I’m just not convinced it's time to say goodbye to summer. I’ve got a few more hikes I want to get in before the weather truly starts changing. And while a loaf of pumpkin bread or an apple pie is enticing; the sheer volume of tomatoes being pumped out of my garden on the daily means I’m just not quite there.

Local produce is in its prime. If you can make some time to hit a fruit stand or the farmers market this month, do it. You will be delighted by the abundance of options available. And although my garden was mostly neglected all summer, it continues to produce squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and blackberries.

Zucchini, corn and poblano fritters came to be after realizing the poblano plants I planted last spring, then promptly forgot about, actually grew quite well and are now laden with peppers. I love poblanos for their earthy heat. They are not as spicy as a jalapeño typically but still have a nice heat and flavor to them. I love to use them in a variety of dishes but especially to make salsa, in chicken enchiladas and I’ve used them to make stuffed peppers, hollowing out the seeds and filling the pepper with rice, beans and cheese.

For this recipe, I roasted the poblanos under the broiler for a few minutes until they were charred. I let them cool and peeled the outer skin off. I wanted the charred flavor and to mellow the peppers. This extra step is a lovely addition to the recipe but not completely necessary. You can always just seed and chop the poblanos if you prefer. The chipotle dipping sauce plays to the smoky charred flavors in the fritters with chipotle peppers in adobo. The sauce is the perfect cool, creamy, slightly smoky spicy flavor to take this recipe over the top.

Zucchini, Corn and Poblano Fritters with Chipotle Dipping Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons fresh chives minced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 2 eggs

• Coarse sea salt

• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Preheat oven to broil. Line. A baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet and char under the broiler for about 5 to 8 minutes, rotating with tongs until all sides of the peppers are charred. Remove from oven and transfer peppers to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let coo for 10 minutes.

While the peppers cool, wash and shred zucchini and cut corn off the cob (about 2 ears of corn). Squeeze the moisture from the shredded zucchini and place in a large bowl. Add the corn.

Take the plastic wrap off the bowl of peppers and peel the skin from the peppers. The skin should peel away easily. Remove the stem and seeds and dice the peppers finely. Add to the bowl along with the corn and zucchini.

Add the flour, garlic powder, fresh chives, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix to combine creating a savory pancake-like batter.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and allow the pan to heat up. Using a cookie scoop, add about 2 tablespoons of batter to the hot pan and cook for about 2 minutes on one side before flipping over and cooking an additional two minutes. The fritters should be golden brown on both sides. When they are finished cooking, remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Garnish with coarse seat salt and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately alongside the chipotle dipping sauce. Recipe makes about 10 to 12 fritters

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise

• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced

• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

• Pinch of salt and pepper

In a small bowl combine the greek yogurt and mayonnaise, whisking together. Mince the chipotle pepper, removing the seeds to prevent the sauce from being too spicy. Use a spoon to reserve some of the adobo sauce from the can. Add the chopped pepper and sauce to the bowl, whisking to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, tasting to adjust flavors to preference.