By Amy Story Larson

Zucchini Fritters

INGREDIENTS

1 large zucchini (or 2 small)

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh oregano, or 1 Tbsp. dried

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

2 eggs

1/4 c.flour (regular, gluten free, almond, etc.)

1/4 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil, more if needed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

DIP INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill

Avocados, blended (essentially guacamole dip, but a bit thinner) 

PREPARATION

>  Grate zucchini. Place zucchini in a colander, set in sink and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then wring dry in clean kitchen towel to remove moisture. Place zucchini in a large bowl and gently mix in egg, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.

>  Heat 2 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 Tbsp. mixture into pan. Repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.

>  Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate. Set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

* If you want more veggies, try adding a ½ cup of finely chopped kale, spinach, or, for lots of taste, green onion. 

*Adapted from healthy-holistic-living.com

Summer Splash Drinks

DOC H. INGREDIENTS

1/2 Dr. Pepper™

1/2 horchata (a Spanish and Latin American drink made with rice flour and cinnamon)

>  Doc H. was born on a Saturday in Boise, when we just had to get some grilled chicken nachos. We sat side-by-side, sipping the mixture and watching people riding across the crosswalk on scooters that were then being newly incorporated into downtown.

O.G. iNGREDIENTS

1/2 Canada Dry Ginger Ale™

1/2 Wyler’s Light Orange Sun Splash™

>  O.G. is a recent invention. I can only go so far with “light” soft drinks, and when my host presented the Wyler’s, I dug around in the fridge for something to help enhance it. The ginger ale did the trick.

ROOT-O INGREDIENTS

1/2 root beer

1/2 orange soda

>  Root-O is a long-time favorite, discovered by my sisters and me in the ‘80s down in Madison County. This combo may have been created by many others long before us, but at the time, we thought we were geniuses.

A.J. INGREDIENTS

Hot chocolate

A “glug” or dollop of salted caramel flavoring

A square of very dark chocolate melted in, for contrasting bitter flavor

>  The A.J., perfect for those cold mornings camping, was discovered last year, while we were visiting Dan’s Ferry Service at Cleo’s Trail. On a chilly December day, we went in to get hot chocolate and someone accidentally poured salted caramel before realizing it was the wrong thing. With a shrug, the remainder of the cup was filled with cocoa. The first and final sips had few pauses between them.