Vacation + Zucchini Fritters

I apologize for being totally absent for the last week and a half.  I went on a much needed vacation over spring break last week (Raleigh and Atlanta!) and have had midterms to deal with.  Atlanta was a great break from school and work, but the trip was over way too quickly.  I had some of the best food I've ever eaten on the trip as well... Top Chef contestants Kevin Gillespie and Richard Blais both run restaurants in Atlanta, and we were able to eat at both.  

Woodfire Grill is an upscale restaurant that focuses on fresh local ingredients.  We ordered the chef's tasting menu - 7 courses planned and prepared just for us - with wine pairings presented with each course.  I even got to meet Chef Kevin!  FLIP Burger is a burger joint that serves all sorts of burgers, fries, and milkshakes.  I ordered a chorizo burger (chorizo, romesco ketchup, fried egg) with onion rings and a Nutella/marshmallow milkshake, and Jonathan ordered their butchers burger (beef, red wine sauce, bleu cheese, grilled onions) with zucchini fries and a Patron XO milkshake.  Both meals were phenomenal!

We also toured the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke, CNN Center, Sweetwater Brewery, Red Brick Brewing (formerly Atlanta Brewing Company), Turner Field, and The Fernbank Natural History Museum.  We had a great time despite the crummy weather we had to deal with the first couple of days.  I'll at least post up some pictures of what I've been up to for the last week and a half to make up for the lack of recipes.  There are more pictures on Flickr (see the link on the right side of this page).  I'll also leave you with a recipe for one of my dinners from last week.  This is a zucchini fritter, with some onion and prosciutto mixed in for a little Italian flare.

Zucchini Fritters

Serves 4 as a main, or 6-8 as a starter or hors d'oeuvre

2 zucchini

6 slices of pancetta

1/4 c onion

1 egg

6-8 T flour

3 sprigs thyme

Crack the egg into a bowl and beat lightly.  Set aside.  Grate zucchini and onion onto a dish towel or a paper towel.  Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and add into the egg.  Dice prosciutto and add to zucchini and stir well.  Add thyme and enough flour to form a fritter batter.  These should just stick together.

Heat 2 T oil in a skillet.  Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve fritters over a green salad with a vinaigrette, or topped with a poached egg (or both, like I did).