I’ve fallen into the habit this summer of roasting whatever vegetables we have on hand for dinner, usually with just coconut oil, salt and pepper, sometimes with one or two other spices from the cabinet added in, and then arranging them all on a plate like they’re fancy.
These potato fritters are a perfect example of that. At first glance, they seem elaborate, but when you get right down to it, this is really just a platter of seasonal vegetables arranged and just barely adorned in a new way.
There have been times in my life where I’ve thought that spending time on arranging a plate – or meticulously picking out an outfit or organizing a bookshelf – is a shallow, silly, empty thing to do.
And yet somewhere in my soul I think I’ve always also known that you can’t argue with the way it hits you when someone hands you a plate that’s taken obvious time and attention to prepare.
You can’t pretend you don’t feel a little special when you make the extra effort every once in a while to get dolled up for dinner, or to pull out the fancy dishes for a meal with friends.
There’s something inside me that loves to celebrate and to savor. And this is the same something that delights in an ordinary collection of vegetables, piled up together in an extraordinary way.
I have actually made this recipe more than a few times, sometimes in miniature for little poppable bites, other times in slightly larger rounds that yield more than two bites apiece.
I like both versions, but I’ve found it can be easier to get the mini variety to crisp up and cook all the way through. Whatever you prefer, both options involve creating a simple hash brown patty base for caramelized roasted squash, fresh and bright cucumber corn salad, and a flavorful drizzle of cumin dill yogurt on top.
To prepare this dish, you’re actually going to make four mini recipes that all get layered together on a plate for the most perfect presentation. You start by roasting squash, boiling corn, and grating potatoes – the most laborious task, and one I won’t blame you for recruiting help via a strong-armed pal or kitchen appliance if need be!
After draining, the potatoes are lumped onto a greased baking sheet, seasoned, and baked. Meanwhile, you make a kind of salad/salsa hybrid, and a yogurt sauce.
Feel free to make all of the necessary components ahead of time and layer them together just before serving. After assembly, the fritters will start to lose their crispy texture within a few hours. But if you keep the vegetable components and the sauce separate until just before you want to eat, you’ll be golden.
All of the components layered together are a delightful celebration of seasonal vegetables, when the summertime corn is crisp and sweet and the tomatoes are extra juicy. You’ll find that it even works for a light lunch if you like.
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Potato Fritters with Roasted Zucchini Cucumber Corn Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Yield: 15-20 mini or 6-8 medium fritters (6 servings) 1x
Description
Vegetarian potato fritters with roasted zucchini cucumber corn salad are an easy way to use up extra squash that’s ideal for the summertime.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Squash:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 pound yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into rounds (about 3 medium zucchini)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Tomato Cucumber Corn Salad:
- 2 ears fresh corn, shucked
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Fritters:
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Cumin Dill Yogurt Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2–3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- To roast the squash, preheat the oven to 375˚F and add the coconut oil to a rimmed baking sheet. Add the zucchini or your choice of summer squash, salt, and pepper. Toss together to distribute everything evenly, then spread the zucchini out in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until soft and golden. Remove from the oven and place zucchini on a plate. Set aside. Keep the oven on.
- Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the corn. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the corn. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until corn is cooked through. The kernels should still be firm and not mushy. Remove cobs to a plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, slice kernels from the cobs with a knife and set aside.
- Next, place the grated potatoes in a tea towel or cheese cloth. Squeeze over a sink to strain out as much water as possible (it’ll be a lot).
- Grease 2 baking sheets with about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil each. Scoop piles of the potato mixture on top, leaving about 1 inch in between and flattening each one. For mini fritters, make the mounds about a tablespoon in size. For medium-sized fritters, make large mounds that are 2 to 3 tablespoons in size, still flattening them as much as possible. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden, and flip. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and transfer from the pan to a serving platter.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked corn kernels with the remaining ingredients for the tomato cucumber corn salad. Stir together, taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cumin, dill, and salt. Taste and add salt as needed..
- To assemble the appetizers, layer a potato fritter with roasted squash, then tomato cucumber corn salad, and drizzle or top with a dollop of cumin dill yogurt. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Appetizers
Keywords: potato, fritter, zucchini, tomato, cucumber, vegetarian
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prepare Vegetables, Chop Herbs, and Measure Remaining Ingredients
Slice one pound of zucchini or yellow squash into rounds.
Remove the husks and silk from two ears of corn.
Peel and coarsely grate one pound of russet potatoes. You can use the large holes on a box grater, or the shredding disc attachment in your food processor.
Chop enough tomatoes until you have 1/2 cup total. I used one large tomato.
Chop enough cucumber until you have 1/2 cup total. I used half of a large cucumber.
Measure out 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves and tear the leaves into small pieces.
Chop enough dill until you have 2 to 3 teaspoons total.
Measure out all remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.
Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with coconut oil. Set aside.
Step 2 – Roast Squash
Add the squash to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything together until the oil and seasonings are evenly distributed. Spread rounds out in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until softened and golden.
Step 3 – Boil Corn
Add corn to a large pot and cover the corn with water to see how much you need. Remove corn to a plate.
Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the corn back to the pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. The corn kernels should be cooked through but not mushy. Remove cobs and set aside on a plate to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife and set aside.
Step 4 – Make Fritters
Transfer the grated potatoes to a clean tea towel or cheese cloth. Squeeze over the sink to remove as much water as you can. There will be a lot so really squeeze it out well.
Grease two baking sheets with coconut oil. Scoop piles of the grated potato onto the baking sheets, flattening each one.
If you are making mini fritters, the mounds should be about 1 tablespoon in size each. If you are making full sized fritters instead, make mounds that are 2 to 3 tablespoons in size each. Be sure to portion them out consistently, so they will cook evenly. Season the tops with salt and pepper.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Flip and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden and crispy all over. Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter.
Step 5 – Make Salad
Add all of the ingredients for the tomato cucumber corn salad to a large bowl. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Want to limit the level of carbs? If corn and potato combo is too much of an overload, consider using our Simple Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad instead of this corn salad. Just chop the veggies more finely, instead of keeping them in larger chunks.
Step 6 – Make Cumin Dill Yogurt
Whisk together yogurt, cumin, dill, and salt in a small bowl until combined. Season with additional salt to taste.
Step 7 – Assemble
To assemble, top each potato fritter with roasted squash, followed by the tomato cucumber corn salad. Top with cumin dill yogurt and serve.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Making this appetizer ahead of time is totally doable, as mentioned above, and you can make everything up to one day ahead of time. The key is to keep all of the components stored separately.
To serve, reheat the potato fritters on baking sheets in a 350˚F oven until warmed through, about 5 to 10 minutes. Reheat the roasted zucchini or your choice of summer squash in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute. Assemble as the recipe describes.
Would you like to try more fritter recipes? Here are some more recipes from Foodal to try next:
- Sweet Corn Fritters
- Potato Fritters with Red Pepper Relish
- Cauliflower and Chard Fritters with Spicy Yogurt Cilantro Sauce
Do you prefer mini or full-sized fritters? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to rate the recipe once you try it yourself.
Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on July 24, 2014. Last updated on April 28, 2021. With additional writing and editing by Meghan Yager and Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
So good – both the recipe (it looks delicious!) and the food. Creating some sort of beauty – whether it be a plate of food carefully arranged or something more permanent and “high art” – it’s always a good thing. Here’s to many more plates of beautiful food!
I meant to say “both the recipe and the WRITING” – sorry
This…. “And yet somewhere in my soul I think I’ve always also known that you can’t argue with the way it hits you when someone hands you a plate that’s taken obvious time and attention to prepare.” Yes. Completely. And I feel the same way when I hand someone a plate that I took extra care with.
Also, I love the combination of zucchini & corn – a new squash dish I need to try!
Those sound awesome! I love making vegetable fritters in the summer. 🙂
These little fritters are so pretty!! Such a gorgeous recipe!
Saw these on instagram and was hoping you’d post the recipe! So pretty and sounds delicious!!
these are so pretty and colorful!!!!! like a little mid-summer latke. i am obsessed.
also, i have never tried roasting veggies with coconut oil, but that sounds so perfect!!!!
happy friday to you, shanna 🙂
Molly, coconut oil + veggies is a real game changer, even if it makes me a one-hit wonder these days. yellow squash, roasted in coconut oil = vegetable candy that I want to eat allll day.
Our CSA basket has been yielding the same things and I have yet to grow tired of roasting the squash or eggplant and integrating it into our meal in a new way. Most of all, I find myself so thankful to the Lord for his bounty and how He has created the seasons to bring about these gifts of food (so much that I have to cook all week to make sure I don’t waste anything). Wonderful recipe – thanks for sharing!
I couldn’t agree more. Yes, yes, yes. I am so thankful for the food God’s given us and for how it points me to Him.
I’m a big fan of trying to plate prettily at home. Working in an office, so sterile and blah (is that a technical term?) all day, every day, makes me long for things of beauty. When we make dinner at home, I try to take the extra effort to try to make it look pretty (and I did this before I Instagrammed!). Sometimes I fail, sometimes I really have a creative burst. It taps into the creative and artistic part of me that I am not able to tap into much in the day-to-day. It feed my eyes before it feeds me. Both my husband and I talk about dishes that we’ve had in restaurants that have been so beautiful that they are visually memorable to us. I don’t need every meal out to be like that, but gosh, it is nice sometimes to have edible “art.”
As they say, you eat with your eyes first…!
So true. I was thinking about that “eat with your eyes” line earlier and about this “mindful eating” exercise my friend Ashley did at a talk a few months ago. You look at the food, examine its textures and shapes; you smell the food and really take in its aroma; you feel it with your fingers; THEN you bite. It’s crazy how that attentiveness affects you and changes the meal. And if making my plate pretty is one way to remind myself to stop for a second, it’s powerful right there.
It IS crazy how sensory food is. I really think that it may be one of the only thing where you use all five senses because before you even plate the food, the sense of hearing comes into play – the sound of onions sizzling in butter, the bubbling of a sauce or soup. I love this “mindful eating” exercise and am going to try it. What a nice reminder to slow down in this fast-paced world and really pay attention to a simple thing like a meal!
YUM! Love this and your site 🙂
Thanks so much, Sarah!
wow these look seriously delicious, the perfect little snacks! definitely recreating these fritters in my kitchen as i have a housewarming party to attend and an aperitif to bring. love it!
Thanks, Thalia! Hope you enjoy!
i can’t believe i missed this post. i am absolutely in love with each piece of this recipe – so thoughtful and creative! and the styling of it is beautiful! happy monday, shanna!
Aw, thank you, Lindsey!
Beautiful shanna!! Completely resonates with me.
And yes, while I may not look back at the end of my life thinking “I wish I made my dinners prettier” – at least I’ll feel glad knowing that my dinner guests had a good time gathering around my table, eating things as simple as baked plantain fries with siracha sauce arranged fancily (or not).
sending love.
F.
Thanks, Felicia, I’m glad you enjoyed this one. ; )
It looks awesome. You must be rich!. I love it.
Haha, my CSA share definitely makes me feel rich!
Yes to all of this! I sometimes feel ridiculous for spending time scattering some herbs artfully over my plate but it can make a really silly amount of difference to how I feel about eating it and how it makes other people feel when they see the effort that I’ve put in and that makes it all worthwhile. I love the idea of these little fritters especially with that cumin-y dill sauce.
And your plates come from such a sweet spirit, too! Even better.
I think that presentation and food styling is as important as a flavour. It makes food taste better 🙂 Great recipe!
I think so, too! Thanks, Marta!
These look wonderful. This is why I follow food blogs — I feel so inspired reading through your recipes and about your process. These are going to end up on my dinner table (which is actually a coffee table) ASAP. I’ve been looking for a Summer potato recipes that’s not potato salad. This wins.
I know just what you mean. Cooking is so much more fun thanks to the cloud of people, standing next to us or writing from across the world, sharing about what they’re making, too.
Oh Shanna, These fritters are the best ever. Only because I love to fritter everything and thank you for another delicious excuse to do so.
As for pretty-ing up food. I do believe that if made right (lots and lots of love), food rarely needs our help to look good. However, us creative people relish taking it up a notch. We have gifts (well, you do) to make it look even more wonderful. Sure, it is insignificant but those small moments that we take to engage our senses truly make us happy. A generous friend from work who recently made a delicious meal for her and her boyfriend, sent me a photo of it. I sent her a photo of my dinner because she gave me fresh figs off her tree, which I used in my meal. Seeing my picture, she told me that she “needed to work on her photo composition.” In my mind I thought “you absolutely don’t because it doesn’t matter. Look at that beautiful poached egg on top of that pasta!” I simply told her to look for natural light and to always do what makes her happy. Both are pretty much the same thing. 🙂
Thank you so much for these kind words, and you are so right that food in its original form is often as pretty as it gets!