Spinach Feta Fritters

As you may know, I have a well-documented fritter problem. If it's a vegetable and I like it, I'll probably try to turn it in to a fritter. Therefore, one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations--spinach, feta, pine nuts, and tomato--was just begging to be turned into patty form. Here's the result; I hope you like it.

Spinach Feta Fritters

• 2 bunches fresh spinach (a little less than 2 lbs)
• 2 eggs
• rounded 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• Juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons canola oil

Set a very large pot of water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, fill a large bowl with water. Cut the stems off the spinach bunches, and place the leaves in the bowl of water. Swish them around until all the dirt is removed, and place the leaves in a colander.

While you'res still waiting for the water to boil, toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven or a 350 degree oven. When the water boils, add the spinach and cook until tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach to the colander. There's really no need for an ice bath.

When the spinach has cooled, squeeze the water out of it. Don't drive yourself crazy, though--it doesn't have to be completely dry. Chop the spinach as fine as you can, again without driving yourself crazy.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, feta, tomato sauce, lemon juice, pine nuts, flour, salt, pepper, and spinach, and mix well. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add enough spinach mixture to the pan to make a patty that's about 3 inches in diameter.

Cook until the top starts to look a little firm, and the bottom edges look a little dried out. Flip--the top should be nicely browned. Cook the other side until golden brown, just a little longer (the second side will cook faster than the first).

Taste this fritter and adjust for seasoning--add more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as necessary. Also, if the batter is too thin, add a little bit of flour. Once the seasoning is correct, cook the rest of the batter in the same manner, adding more oil to the pan as necessary.

Feta Yogurt Sauce

This sauce was originally made for a pita pocket dinner, but I found it to be so delicious that I began using it as a dip for bread, a dip for vegetables, a salad dressing, and the cream base for creamed spinach. 

Creamy and tangy, this sauce can be used to accompany anything from vegetables to fish, and you could probably even use it as a pizza topping. It's bright with herbs and lemon, and the richness imparted by the feta and olive oil make this a perfectly balanced condiment. If anyone out there tries this, let me know how you used it, and how you liked it.

Feta Yogurt Sauce

(Adapted from the New York Times)

• 3 ounces feta cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk
• 1/8 cup very good olive oil
• Teaspoon loosely packed oregano leaves
• 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine feta, yogurt, 1/8 cup olive oil, oregano, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon. Blend or process until smooth. You can also mash mixture by hand, with a fork. If you do it that way, chop up the oregano leaves before adding. I actually used a measuring cup and a hand-held stick blender, which worked beautifully. Add a lot of freshly ground black pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice or pepper if needed. You probably won't need salt since the feta is salty.

A Summer Obsession: Zucchini Feta Fritters

(The first flower of the year--an anemone)

Last year, this was an oft-repeated conversation around our place:

Nick: So what are we having for dinner?
Me: Uuuuummmmm...I kinda sorta wanted to make some zucchini patties.
Nick: (Eyes widening in disbelief) Seriously? Really? Again?
Me: Yeah, sorry. I can make another side for you.
Nick: Um, that might be a good idea.

I had thought that last year's hard-core addiction to these zucchini fritters would have cured me of my never-ending lust for their vegetable-y, cheesy goodness. But it didn't. When I told Nick the other day that I wanted to make them just once in honor of the start of summer, this pronouncement again had the Eye-Widening Effect. "Is this going to be a problem?" he asked.

"I don't think so," I said, "I think I can make them just this once and be okay."

Five batches later, Nick is again begging for mercy and I'm considering zucchini rehab.


I think you should try these fritters, although Nick might beg to differ. Their herby, zucchini-y lightness is perfectly countered by the saltiness of the feta cheese. They're not too heavy to make an enjoyable summer treat, but at the same time they're wickedly satisfying in the way patties of pan-seared, shredded vegetables tend to be. These are extremely easy to whip up, and they're delicious hot, at room temperature, and even cold. They're great as sides, appetizers, or snacks. 

Zucchini Feta Fritters

(Adapted from Epicurious)

• 3 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from about 3 medium)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup (or more) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon chiffonade (cut into ribbons) fresh basil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more as needed

Toss zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to sieve. Press out excess liquid; place zucchini in dry bowl.


Mix in egg, yolk, 1/2 cup flour, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in parsley, onions, and basil. If batter is very wet, add more flour by spoonfuls. However, if liquid is leaking out because the batter has been sitting for a few minutes, do not add more flour. Only add more flour if the homogeneous batter is runny. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon canola oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into skillet, and flatten to a 1.4 inch thickness. Fry patties until golden, about 5 minutes per side, adding more canola oil as needed.


These can be made a day ahead of time and rewarmed in a 350 degree oven. They can also be made ahead of time and served room temperature.

Epicurious suggests that these patties be served with plain Greek yogurt, but I find it unnecessary. The last time I made these, I added a couple tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, which was quite nice, but it's optional.