Corn, Zucchini & Goats Cheese Fritters with Green Tahini Sauce

Corn, zucchini & goats cheese fritters with green tahini sauce, topped with avocado and poached eggs – super easy and works as equally well as an easy dinner or fancy brunch.  Jump to Recipe

I’m currently on a train towards London, weighed down by far too many bags – more than a few people have offered a hand getting on and off trains and up and down stairs, which I take to mean I must look like I’m struggling (maybe just a little). It’s hard to believe my six months in Oxford is already up, with the final thesis due date only a few weeks off. Maybe it’s cliche, but it feels more like six weeks. The time has raced past in a blur of challenging lectures and relaxed picnic dinners, coffees with friends and long days in the Harry Potter-esque Oxford libraries, hastily planned overseas trips (yes, all the Italian gelato and Copenhagen pastries) and afternoons spent reading on the lawns. 

Last week I realised I had hardly any good photos of Oxford – I think you start to take the views for granted when you’re living somewhere. The next early clear morning I ventured out with my camera, noticing all the golden-hued laneways and ivy creeping over stone walls. Without huge groups of tourists blocking the streets (the one negative of summertime in Oxford), it was easier to appreciate the colourful cafe facades and imposing church spires. I completely understand why everyone wants to visit towns like Oxford, but the huge numbers of people and tourbuses day-tripping through a tiny town does make the magic harder to find. It’s the same with most cities fuelled by tourism, I suppose – Barcelona and Venice come to mind – but in a town the size of Oxford it’s perhaps even more obvious. I don’t know what the solution is: I love to travel to new places just as much as anybody. 

Though I’m no longer in Oxford, I still have a mountain of work to do to finish my thesis so I’ll keep it brief today.  In the meantime, I’ve got these corn, zucchini & goats cheese fritters with green tahini sauce. Fritters are such a go-to summer meal for me – the simple base formula of flour, baking powder, eggs and milk accommodating all manner of vegetables and herbs. Sometimes it’s more of a Mexican vibe, loaded with coriander, lime and guacamole; sometimes it’s a classic corn with smoked salmon; sometimes I pile them with blistered cherry tomatoes and spinach. This is one of my favourites. It’s a mix of corn and zucchini – I find zucchini alone has a tendency to get a little soggy. Handfuls of parsley, mint and dill and chunks of goats cheese pack it with flavour, and they sit atop a herby, lemon-y green tahini sauce. Top with poached (or soft-boiled) eggs and avocado for a deluxe fritter dinner, or serve up for a friends for brunch. 

PS: yes, the egg yolks in NZ really are that orange.

Cook’s notes:

• The zucchini is best julienned width-ways as it gives firmer strips of zucchini, and more texture in the finished fritters. If you don’t have one though, a coarse grater is a perfect alternative and still great! Make sure to salt and leave to drain for at least 10 minutes. 
• Add the water last when making the green tahini sauce, as this makes sure the parsley is as finely chopped as possible so the sauce is vibrantly green!
• If you’re making these for a crowd, I’d recommend soft-boiling the eggs so you can do them a little in advance-  just bring a pot to a soft boil, lower the whole eggs in for 5-6 minutes, then put straight into cold water to stop them cooking further. Peel just before serving.