Spring Zucchini

Although you can easily get your hands on zucchini year round, I don't cook with it often until spring arrives. Glorious spring and all the wonderful veggies it promises to bring throughout the next few months.. happy happy! One of my most favorite dishes in all the world is fried zucchini.. introduced to me as a child from my father. He was a vegetable FREAK! lol Thank God, or I'd probably not like my veggies as much as I do now. Dad would cook for us mostly on Sunday mornings and afternoons.. he was the king of breakfasts and snacks.. although he did have many recipes up his sleeve, my mother was the main cook in our family. I admit there are many things my father made that made me turn my nose up.. pickled pigs feet, head cheese sandwiches, neckbone soup, etc.. hehe But when he made his simple vegetable dishes I was always standing behind him just waiting for my plate. Oh.. and his fried dough with sugar & cinnamon sprinkled on it.. yeah, I was practically perched upon his shoulders waiting for those treats to be ready to be inhaled. He was never a fussy cook.. not many ingredients went into his dishes and they rarely were cooking for hours upon hours (except for the sauce), so it wasn't a long wait to enjoy what he had concocted. His fried zucchini are a perfect example. He simply cut the zucchini into thin slices, dipped them in a couple beaten eggs and then dredged them into a flour, salt & pepper mixture before frying them to a golden brown. They are crispy on the outside and so tender and juicy on the inside. We'd eat these alone, never as a side dish. Fried Zucchini 1 or 2 medium sized zucchini, washed and cut into thin slices (coins) 2 eggs, beaten 1 c. all purpose flour 1 TBS. salt 1 TBS. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil for frying Put oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine the flour, salt and pepper thoroughly in a large shallow bowl. Dip your zucchini coins in the eggs and then dredge them in the flour mixture turning over to coat the coin completely, laying each coated coin on a tray or rack. Once the oil is hot (can be tested by dropping a small amount of the eggs in the oil, if they sizzle it's ready) carefully place the zucchini slices in a single layer but don't crowd them. Fry each side for roughly 3 to 4 minutes (until they are golden brown), drain on either paper towels or a brown paper bag. Lightly sprinkle with a little more salt if you think it's needed.. eat immediately if not sooner =)