Summer Bounty: The Journey Part II

I can't believe I'm about to type this, it was horrible enough thinking it today, but Summer is winding down.  There, I've said it.  Sad, but true.  And here in Michigan it doesn't seem like it's been here for very long, what with our April showers that ran clear into June.  Planting was a chore this year for many because of the unpredictable weather changes.  And now it seems we've gotten over the hump of the blistering heat (at least I hope so!) and our gardens and local farm markets are just full of those late summer goodies:  tomatoes, pickles, cukes, potatoes, corn, squash and zucchini.  MMMMM... Zucchini...

For those who have grown zucchini, you know first hand just how bountiful this crop can be!  So just how many meals, sides or desserts can one make with zucchini?  Oh boy, tons!  Especially if you start experimenting!

I love zucchini.. grilled, sauteed, in any type of pasta sauce - whether it's red or EVOO based, in bread and my most recent discovery, in a crab cake.  Yep, that'd be a Zucchini Crab Cake to you.  I've seen and tried many recipes over the years from the "it tastes JUST LIKE a crab cake without the crab" to actual recipes that called for crab as an ingredient.  I've decided that I like them either way, but much prefer to have crab in it.  So after exhaustive research (really, who am I kidding I loved every minute of it!) I've come up with a recipe that I just love and hopefully you will too!

Zucchini Crab Cakes

• 1 large zucchini (about 3 cups), shredded and dried
• 3/4 c (about 1 can) crabmeat or 1/2 lb of the fresh stuff
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dijon mustard (don't make the mistake of using honey dijon because the zucchini is already sweet enough and sometimes the crab is too!)
• 1 c DRIED breadcrumbs - don't use fresh ones otherwise you run the risk of the center being "gooey".  You can use seasoned ones if you like as well!
• 2 Tbsp greek yogurt.  You can use plain yogurt but I find the greek yogurt is thicker and holds everything together better
• 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine or 1/2 tsp of minced garlic from a jar
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 tsp fresh, chopped parsley (if you're using dry, cut it down to 1 tsp) 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp EVOO

Once your zucchini is shredded, place in a colander and sprinkle with the sea salt.  This will help draw out the water a little bit.  Press dry with paper towel after about 20 minutes and remove as much of the liquid as possible.  From here on out, its cake - zucchini crab cake - HAHA.  Just add all ingredients in mixing bowl except EVOO and blend well.  Form mixture into 8 patties (about 1/3 cup in each) and chill while you get your EVOO warming.  Once oil is at medium heat, add patties and cook each side until brown (about 3 minutes per side). 

It's important not to have your oil too high or you run the risk of beautiful golden on the outside, hot gooey mess on the inside.  And I don't care how much you enjoy zucchini, that's not going to be enjoyable. 

I should also mention that I've seen many recipes that call for an oil and butter mixture for cooking the zucchini crab cakes in.. One caution when going this cooking route, oil and butter together create a higher heat point than just oil alone.  If you really want that butter in there, melt a tsp or so and blend it right in with your patties.

Enjoy this summer journey with me.  Next time I'm going for a classic zucchini bread with a twist!