"Corn Fritters" And A "Tomato Cucumber Salad" Recipes That Take You Back..

Picture it….Queens, NY in the late 60’s and 70’s. A young teenage girl sitting around a kitchen table with her family. The mother putting something golden and round on her plate with an aroma that was teasing her taste buds. The young girl says, “Mom what is this sweet golden fried batter called?” The mother answers her with one of the best answers ever, “It is called a Corn Fritter.” Well as they say the rest is history….I guess you figured out that I was the teenage girl. Ever since then my family and I have loved corn fritters. 

Every July 16th in the United States, people all over the country fry up a batch or two of corn fritters in celebration of “National Corn Fritters Day.” On this day, the crispy fritters are enjoyed at tables across the nation. These delightful, sweet little cakes are made with corn kernels and mixed with a batter, then fried in oil. In doing research about this day, I found no creator or origin of National Corn Fritters Day. But there is plenty of documentation to support that this holiday does exist, and it has been celebrated for years. This holiday is referred to as a “National” day, as all food and drink holidays are designed.
  

The word “fritter” comes from the Latin word “frictura” (frying). It was mainly used by way of Old French and Middle English. It can refer to a dessert, a side dish or a main course food. Corn Fritters are a savory snack. Traditional corn fritters are a mixture of corn kernels, egg, flour, milk, and melted butter. They can be deep fried, shallow fried, or baked and served with jam, fruit, honey, or cream. They may also be made with creamed corn, baked, and served with maple syrup. Corn fritters may have a similar appearance to, and may be mistaken for Johnnycakes. New England clam cakes and Maryland crab cakes are essentially varieties of a fritter. To change things up on a corn fritter recipe you may want to try adding different veggies such as onions, celery, and green/red peppers to a batch. You may also want to add a savory sour cream dip to your fritters for a party or a BBQ. There really is no limit to your enjoying the corn fritter, just use your imagination!

My recipe this week is, you guessed it “Corn Fritters.” My mom taught me how to prepare them for a side dish that will enhance your hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken, or pork chops. This is one of my son’s favorite dishes. When he comes home to visit he always asks if I could make a batch of corn fritters. He calls it comfort food from when he was young. This week I am sharing another recipe with you called “Tomato Cucumber Salad.” This fresh and tasty summer salad adds to your corn fritters. So enjoy your Corn Fritters and Tomato Cucumber Salad! 

“Tomato Cucumber Salad”

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber
3 tomatoes (about 1 lb) chopped finely
1 small onion (red) chopped finely
Fresh cilantro, a handful, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lime juice (squeezed) or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and peel the cucumber and onion. Cut into small dice and place into a non reactive bowl. Wash and dice the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and chopped cilantro to the bowl as well. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad. Then start off with a small amount of freshly squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad and taste, if needed adjust the quantities of lime, salt or pepper until you are happy with the balance and taste. Let your salad sit for about 15 minutes before serving, this gives the flavors a chance to infuse with each ingredient.

“Corn Fritters”

Ingredients:
1 can of creamed corn
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 teaspoon melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Vegetable oil

Directions:
Heat oil in frying pan to about 365 °F. Do not burn the oil. In bowl combine corn, salt/pepper, and a well beaten egg. Then add butter, milk, baking powder, and flour. Mix together. (will be lumpy) Put generous spoonfuls of batter into the pan and flatten a bit with the back of a spatula. You should be able to fit about four fritters in a large frying pan at a time. Cook until fritters are golden browned on one side, flip, and cook until the other side is the same golden brown color. (about 4 minutes per side) Transfer fritters to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining batter. You can eat then just the way they are or put some pancake syrup on them or powdered sugar. (optional, anyway you like them)

Yields: about 12-15 corn fritters

Till Next Time……………………………….................

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