Finding My Way Back to the Kitchen

A tomato and bacon jam is easy to make and makes a nicely contrasting accompaniment to fritters.
Photo by Cynthia Hochswender
Two days ago I put my apron on again, after a month of ignoring it. It’s not that I hadn’t cooked; it’s more that I’d done it in a somnolent state, not really paying close enough attention to realize I needed protective gear.
The garden is a harsh mistress and doesn’t really care what else is happening in your life. The zucchini need to be picked when they’re ready, before they grow large enough to be baseball bats. The tomatoes will explode if you ignore them. The corn will only show up on tables at the farm markets for a few short precious weeks.
And so it’s time to pay attention, and to collect all those ingredients and return to the kitchen and to life.
This recipe for fritters is unremarkable, you can find similar sets of instructions in any cookbook and of course online.
What’s different is the quantity. Like many people in the world (old and young), I am now cooking for just a single person: myself. Most recipes serve at least four, so this is an exercise in finding foods that are happy if you give them all your attention and cook just a small portion.
Usually, to be honest, I don’t measure much, especially with a homespun recipe like this. But I knew I would be sharing this recipe — if not the finished dish — with you readers, so … I measured. You’re welcome. But feel free to monkey around with the quantities. Want more green? Use more zucchini and less potato. Hate the potato thing? Leave the potatoes out. Cooking for 10? Just multiply the quantities. It will all be OK.
For a person dining alone, this is a filling meal and the perfect companion to a tomato salad. Or you can sautée some diced onions and add some cherry tomatoes, then cook it all down over low heat into a jam. Add garlic and diced peppers if you like more heat.
To create the julienne sticks of zucchini and potato, I used a mandoline, which seems like a fussy luxury until you have to make zucchini julienne sticks or until you want to make super thin cucumber or potato slices.
I bought mine on Amazon.com; it is called the PL8 Gourmet Slicer and you can buy one for $43. I store it in its box, which is about 15 inches long by 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep (small and easy to tuck into a corner of the pantry).
Be sure to use the safety accessory; the blades are extremely sharp.
Zucchini Fritters
Enough for one serving
One ear of corn, 1 cup of julienned Yukon Gold potato (lightly packed), 1 cup of julienned zucchini, 2 eggs, 1/8 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup chopped basil, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, 8 cracks of fresh black pepper, 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of curry powder
This recipe assumes that you have cooked corn left over from yesterday’s dinner or lunch. Scrape the kernels off the ear.
Julienne the potato (you’ll want about half of a large Yukon Gold) and the zucchini (about a third of a big old baseball bat). Blanche the potatoes in boiling water for about 5 minutes (if this seems too hard, just leave the potatoes out).
In a medium bowl, beat together the two eggs and the sour cream. Add the flour and beat it in until you have a fairly smooth batter.
Drop the julienned veggies into the batter and add in the basil and scallion (about one long scallion stalk — I usually just cut them into small bite-sized pieces with a clean pair of kitchen scissors; so much easier than chopping with a knife). Add the pepper, salt and curry powder and stir it all up.
Heat up a griddle or cast iron pan — although really a nonstick pan will work fine, too, since you will be cooking this over low to medium-low heat. If these were regular breakfast pancakes, you’d cook them faster and over higher heat. But you want the zucchini to cook, so … use low to medium-low heat.
I like to use butter with my fritters, but you can use whatever you like, including nothing if you’re working with a nonstick pan.
When the griddle is hot, scoop a large spoonful of vegetable-filled batter onto the hot surface and pat it down so it’s somewhat flat. You’ll want to cook each side for about 3 to 5 minutes.
You can eat them as I do, standing over the sink with my fingers. Or you can serve them on plates with tomato jam, or a white dairy such as sour cream, creme fraiche or Greek yogurt. Sprinkle more herbs on top. Do whatever you want. This one’s for you.
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.