It only took two words to make it impossible to think about almost anything but the smell of fried dough: state fair. I’ve actually never been to the state fair, which a coworker mentioned was happening this week, and I’m not sure I have any interest in going, but I certainly am in the mood to eat crispy, hot, fried treats. I narrowed down my options based on two main truths: (1) that it’s summertime and therefore there is an abundance of fresh, local produce and (2) that I do not own a deep fryer.

I’ve made zucchini fritters a couple of times and enjoyed them but remember them feeling a bit heavy and greasy. To lighten them up and keep the recipe seasonal, I picked a small handful of mint and basil leaves from my back porch. Boy, am I ever glad to have planted my little “garden” of potted herbs. Dried herbs will absolutely not have the same flavor impact in this recipe, so don’t substitute. The smokiness of the paprika contrasts nicely against the freshness of the herbs and the cooling effect of the yogurt. 

These are a breeze to make and would make a great party appetizer, but it being a Monday night and living alone, I devoured three in lieu of dinner (okay, you caught me - I ate four but ran a lap around the park for each one). Ultimately, they’re not the sort of thing I’d expect to find at a fair, but I felt my fried food craving totally satisfied. 

Herbed Zucchini Fritters and Paprika Yogurt (adapted from Simply Recipes)

• 1 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 scallion
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup light olive or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup Greek style yogurt, such as Fago
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini, and place in a paper towel-lined colander to drain for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the scallion, basil and mint. Lightly beat the egg with a fork. 

2. In a bowl, combine zucchini, scallion, basil, mint, egg, and flour. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper.

3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the hot skillet. (I made 6 large fritters - you could make a greater number of smaller fritters if you prefer.) Cook until deep golden brown on bottom and flip to brown other side. Be careful to avoid high heat and rapid cooking: You don’t want the outsides to burn while the inside stays mushy. This is a particularly hard balance to strike when you’re making larger fritters. If you doubt your abilities, keep your heat on the low end of medium and cook, flipping the fritters ever 2-3 minutes and look at the sides to judge the doneness of the middle.

4. Combine the yogurt and paprika with a fork. Serve fritters hot and fresh from the pan with yogurt for dipping. Garnish with lemon if desired.