Zucchini Patties

The market continues its steady climb. I had 8 showings this week and 1 offers. My reputation precedes me now — the Greek agent who tells the truth about roofs and brings food to open houses. Worse reputations exist.

Sophia is preparing for exams with an intensity that would concern me if it were directed at anything other than academic achievement. She talked about it at dinner for twenty minutes and I understood approximately half of it but all of the joy behind it.

Mama is 83 and still at the bakery at 4 AM. I do not know how much longer she will do this. I do not ask. You do not ask Voula Papadopoulos about endings. You stand next to her and roll phyllo and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.

I made revithada — slow-baked chickpea stew, creamy and rich, the kind of dish that asks nothing but patience and gives back everything. I ate it on the back porch while the sun set and the air smelled like olive oil and the coming rain. A quiet evening. The food was good. Good is enough. Good is everything.

I visited the bakery this weekend. Mama was behind the counter, flour on her apron, her face set in the concentration of a woman who takes baking as seriously as other people take surgery. I stood next to her and rolled dough and said nothing because the silence between us is not empty — it is full of every recipe she taught me and every critique she gave me and every morning she woke at 4 AM to make phyllo that nobody else can make.

The revithada was the soul of that evening, but it is the zucchini patties I keep coming back to — the ones Mama used to press flat with her palm before laying them in the pan, the ones that smell like the garden in July and fry up golden and crisp at the edges while staying soft in the center. After a week of showings and offers and the particular exhaustion of caring about people’s futures, I needed something that required my hands more than my mind. These do exactly that. Stand at the stove, listen to the sizzle, and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 lbs), grated
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for a nuttier flavor)
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, divided, for frying

Instructions

Draw out the moisture. Toss the grated zucchini with 1 tsp salt in a colander. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a clean kitchen towel or your hands. This step is what stands between you and a crispy patty.
Mix the batter. In a large bowl, combine the squeezed zucchini, beaten eggs, feta, scallions, dill, garlic, flour, and black pepper. Stir until everything just comes together — the mixture should hold its shape when pressed.
Heat the pan. Warm 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
Form and fry. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of mixture per patty into the pan, gently pressing each one flat with the back of a spatula. Cook in batches without crowding, about 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Add remaining oil between batches as needed.
Rest and serve. Transfer cooked patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Season immediately with a pinch of salt. Serve warm, with plain Greek yogurt or tzatziki alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zucchini Patties — The Hands Keep Moving, and So Does the Kitchen