Return to Sablet and a wonderful Zucchini Beignet recipe

We are on the way to Sablet. We are spending the weekend in Lausanne (I will share highlights in a future post) where my late father Daniel was born in 1920. We will also be attending my little cousin Audrey's wedding a short distance away in Gland Switzerland on Sunday. The weather is divine so this should be a fun weekend.

We can't wait to get to Sablet and see our friends Steve and Mary from Michigan, our friends in Sablet and nearby villages and the cousins who won't be at the wedding tomorrow. Tuesday morning, we will be at the market in Vaison-la-Romaine.

There is so much we want to do during our visit. Eating favorite Provencal foods, either at our favorite restos or cooking at home and drinking wonderful wines are high on the list. We buy fresh produce at the weekly markets but when we need something, I happily run to Vival and get it.

Vival Epicerie

Our favorite people and friends in Sablet include Alain and Mimi Fabre, the proprietors of Vival. I treat their well-stocked mini-market like my personal pantry. They have everything we need and just 5 minute walk from the house. Prior to when the Fabre bought the store, there was very little on the shelves and made me wonder if that was how stores were during the War or in third-world countries.

Alain and Mimi Fabre

As I said, I love to make and serve food from Provence. One of my favorite cookbooks is "Made in Marseille" by Daniel Young. Many of the recipes come from restaurants in Marseille.

This summer, Shirley planted several zucchini plants and they have produced prodigious numbers of zucchini. It seems that if you don't check daily or miss one hiding behind some leaves, that they grow as big as your arm in a day or so. If you have zucchini in your garden, you know what I am talking about.

I have been trying all kinds of recipes with zucchini and we have given what we can't use away to the neighbors. My favorite new zucchini recipes are; Clafoutis Provençal from Barbara over at Cuisine de Provence and this recipe for zucchini fritters from the "Made in Marseille" cookbook by Daniel Young.

Zucchini Beignets (fritters) with tomato sauce

Beignets de Courgettes
Makes 4 servings (About 12 Fritters)

Ingredients

2 pounds zucchini
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Frying oil

Directions

1. Peel the zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks, place in a pot of boiling salted water, and cook for 15 minutes; drain and let cool. Wrap the zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze out all the juices (It will be like a faucet; you may have to scrape zucchini off of the dish towel).

2. Dice the onion (I sauté the diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until cooked).

3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the zucchini, onion, parsley, and eggs. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix well.

4. Heat a good 1/2 inch of the frying oil in a sauce pan over moderately high heat. Working in batches, scoop up a heaping tablespoonful of the mixture, drop into the sauce pan, flatten it just slightly with a spatula, and fry until golden about 2 minutes on each side.

5. They are delicious plain, even better accompanied by a simple tomato sauce.

It is very easy to double the recipe if you want more for a bigger party. The recipe may seem complicated but it's not! It makes for a nice change to side vegetables. Since zucchini is available year around, you can serve it for holiday parties.

Have a great weekend. Chat soon.