Zucchini Fritters and A Dinner Party.

Dinner parties are everywhere. Or, at least, they're all over my news feed. Not a weekend goes by without some vague acquaintance posting an event, a photo album, or a status about the dinner party that they/their girlfriend/their friends hosted. Most of these seem to be potluck style affairs. Dinner parties are great, and they're really doable, especially at a college where many students live in apartments. A "party" may seem like an intimidating place to showcase a dish, especially if you are a new cook, but I would argue that it's just the opposite. College dinner parties are incredibly low-pressure. If you don't love your dish, there will tons of other things for you to fill up on. Chances are, there will be someone who loves what you made. And, most importantly: hungry college kids are not a difficult crowd to please. Host one. Attend one. Bring something simple, or something complicated that you've been wanting to try. Chances are you'll try a new dish or learn a new recipe.

Zucchini Fritters

I made these little sandwiches for a recent, "veggie burger" themed potluck. As it turns out, there were no veggie burgers, but there were falafel, whoopie pies, latkes, and home-made onion rings. Awesome.

Makes 10-12 small patties.

6 small zucchini (I know, they're out of season. In the summer, you will only need 2 or 3 big ones), grated

1 cup crumbled feta

1 onion, grated

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1-2 eggs

parsley, mint, or dill (optional)

oil for frying

1. Grate the zucchini and the onion, and squeeze out all the excess moisture. This is difficult, and I never feel like I've squeezed enough. I usually use a terrycloth washcloth or towel lined with paper towels.

2. Mix in the feta, garlic and herbs, and start by adding 1 egg and the smaller amount of breadcrumbs. I have made these three times now, and each time they've required a different combination of breadcrumbs and eggs for the patties to form.

3. Form the patties, adding eggs or breadcrumbs at your discretion. I usually grab a small handfull of the mix, and squeeze it between my hands, forcing out a little additional water, and (hopefully) getting them to solidify.

4. Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large, heavy, cast iron or nonstick skillet. Fry the patties, a few at a time, until they are dark, golden brown on both sides and warmed through.

I served these particular fritters inside mini pitas from Whole Foods with tzatziki.

Tzatziki, the way I like it.

1 16 ounce container of greek yogurt, whole or 2% milkfat

1 small cucumber

4 cloves of garlic, minced

a handful of mint leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Cut open and peel the cucumber, and scrape out the seeds. Mince the remaining parts, and mix with all other ingredients.