Hit the Beach

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dried Mission figs, stems removed
• 1 (6 oz) can Lindsay California Black Ripe Pitted Olives (or your favorite Lindsay olives), drained
• 1 1/2 Tbsp capers, drained
• Zest of 1 small orange
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb zucchini (4 small)
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Butter for frying
• Crème fraîche or sour cream for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. To make the tapenade, quarter the figs and place them in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of water over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain figs and place them in the bottom of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the olives, capers, orange zest, lemon juice, and olive oil and pulse to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
2. To make the zucchini fritters, grate the zucchini and onion on the large holes of a box grater and place in a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel tightly around the vegetables and squeeze tightly to press out any excess moisture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the parsley, eggs, flour, cheese, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
4. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pat of butter and once it is melted and just bubbling, add a heaping tablespoon of batter to form a fritter. Fry fritters until they are cooked through and golden-brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer cooked fritters to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you continue to cook the remainder of the fritters.
5. To serve, top fritters with olive tapenade and a touch of crème fraîche.