On the last evening of her trip to Crete, Pien ate in a taverna where the aroma of olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs wafted from the kitchen. The kolokithokeftedes were so good that she immediately asked for the recipe. The woman in the kitchen smiled, wrote it down on a piece of paper, and said: " For home, because you liked it so much ."

Ingredients

For the cookies (6 pieces):

• 1 zucchini

• ½ carrot, finely grated

• ½ onion, finely chopped

• Handful of parsley, finely chopped

• 75 g breadcrumbs

• 50 g flour

• 1 egg

• 100 g grated graviera (or crumbled feta)

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• Salt & pepper

• TOPIKÁ extra virgin olive oil

For the yogurt sauce:

• 150 g Greek yogurt

• Juice & zest of ½ lemon

• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

• Dash of @topika.oliveoil extra virgin olive oil

• Salt & pepper

Preparation method

1. Prepare zucchini
Coarsely grate the zucchini and place it in a colander.
Mix with a generous pinch of salt and let it sit for 1 hour.
Then squeeze out as much moisture as possible with a clean tea towel or with your hands.

2. Making yogurt sauce
Mix in a small bowl:

• Greek yogurt

• Lemon zest & juice

• Finely chopped dill

• Dash of olive oil

• Salt & pepper

Keep refrigerated until use.

3. Mixing the dough
In a large bowl, mix:

• Drained zucchini

• Grated carrot

• Onion

• Parsley

• Bread-crumbs

• Flower

• Egg

• Cheese

• Oregano

• Salt & pepper

Stir well until a firm, cohesive mixture is formed.
Tip: Still too wet? Add more breadcrumbs.

4. Shape and bake the cookies
Form 6 flat cookies from the mixture.
Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Bake the cookies for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
Let it drain on kitchen paper.

5. Serve & enjoy
Serve warm with the fresh yogurt sauce on the side. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or light lunch.

With a dash of @topika.oliveoil and a bit of Crete on your plate... 💛