Greek tomato fritters: don’t let these stay Greek to you

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of meeting new people. It’s a great opportunity to gain new perspectives and also learn more about your own. And, if nothing else, you’re closer to getting to know someone who might know someone who knows Kevin Bacon.

But there is just one thing I don’t look forward to in the getting-to-know-you-stages of life, and that’s the question that inevitably comes tucked in somewhere between the introductory handshake, the hurried exchange of names and hellos, and the uncertainty of where to go from here. It’s the, … so…what do you do for fun? question.

I have no idea how to answer this.

For instance, let’s say this question arises on a date. What do I say to him? ‘I really like to eat. But I take pictures of most things before I eat them. And then I post it all on a blog, complete with a conversational tone, as if I’m convinced of a friendship with passerbys in the ether. Oh, hey, and if you stick around long enough, I’ll write about you and what you eat, too.’
I don’t think so.

So I usually come up with something that sounds like a mumbled knot of weak passions, and even I begin to wonder if I know myself at all. What do I do with my time?

Well, lately I’ve been reading up a bit on the ways that different cultures look at things like health and well-being (also a great lead on a date). When it comes to eating, I have a penchant for the Mediterranean, mainly because a scene there would probably look like me somewhere in Italy with a glass of red wine in one hand and a jar of Nutella in the other. But, then again, the unrestrained consumption of chocolate-hazelnut spread might interfere with all the things that attract me to the Mediterranean’s healthful style of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, grains, and fish from the nearby blue.

So I went in search of a recipe that would also put to good use the ingredients that are fresh to me now. Santorini’s famous tomato fritters, more formally referred to as Domatokeftedes, incorporate perfectly all the tomatoes and herbs overflowing from late-summer backyard gardens.

And let me tell you, I am absolutely shocked by how good these are.

I’m shocked that I’ve been on this earth this long without having tasted the slightly crunchy texture, the understated but powerful herby tone, and the delectable package size of these little tomato patties. And I’m shocked to admit that I’d swap a stack of these for that jar of Nutella in my Mediterranean dreams in a heartbeat. But I would. I’d keep the wine, of course.

I found a couple of different recipes for these. Most came from travelers who had had their first taste on a trip to Santorini, and were doing their best to bring a little delicious piece of Greece back home with them. Following their suggestions, and a couple of more formal recipes like this one and this one, I ended up with the recipe you’ll find below.

Besides being one of the most artful ways I’ve found to use your garden plenty, these tomato fritters are the kind of thing that force me to seriously consider how plausible it might be to catch the next flight to Greece. In case you’re interested, I could well be on my way by this afternoon at 1:48pm.

So I guess maybe what I do for fun, is dream about going places. And not only in the way that I dream of that flight leaving for Athens just before 2:00pm, but also in the way that what I do right here in my world can lead me to anywhere I want to go. What I love about food is that it has a real knack for coordinating mini-trips across the globe. So if you feel like exploring a bit, I think you better give these a try. I dare you not fall in love with them.

Domatokeftedes
AKA Greek Tomato Fritters

4 ripe tomatoes
Handful of cherry/grape tomatoes
½ medium onion
½ cup parsley, chopped finely
½ cup basil, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt
Pepper
1 ½ cups flour mixed with 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
Canola oil, for frying

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, parsley, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together well, then stir into the tomato mixture to make a batter that will hold its shape. Add a little water if too thick, a little more flour if too thin.

Heat about ½ inch of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Shape two tablespoons worth of tomato mixture into a round in your hand, flatten, and slide into the oil. Fry until golden brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remainder of the batter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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