How Has Your Garden Grown?

At this time of year many people are reaping the rewards of the gardens they have sown. Usually it’s the overload of zucchini’s that gets people desperate for recipes. But I have noticed that this year a lot of people have had great success with their eggplant crop. A friend of my cousin’s garden produced some of the most beautiful eggplant I have ever seen and a lot of it. Instead of the usual eggplant preparations (you know the ones; “fried, sauced, melted mozzarella”). Hey, I’d be the last one to put that version down; I’ve eaten eggplant that way every week of my life since childhood. But I just thought it would be nice to do something different…..well if you call using Bisquick again different.
I am calling this one a Beignet only because it sounds fancier than a Fritter. But in actuality Beignet is French for Fritter. Anyhow no matter what you choose to call them; “Beignets', Fritters or Doughnuts, one thing's for sure…. You will always call them good.

Eggplant Beignets’

3 med. size eggplant

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1-1 1/2 cups Bisquick

Oil for frying

Peel eggplants; boil until tender. Mash well. Add sugar; let cool. Add egg and Bisquick until stiff enough to drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden brown; drain on brown paper or paper towel, serve hot.

Just Frittering My Life Away......

I love Bisquick; it makes life in the kitchen so much easier. I have been making Fritters since my early teens; I started making them with apples. Over the years I have used a variety of fruits such as cherries, peaches and bananas. Vegetable Fritters can be a wonderful addition to any meal we regularly enjoy corn, artichoke, zucchini and spinach.
For a truly delicious appetizer try making clam Fritters, you can dip them in tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. They are easy to make just follow the recipe below, minus the apples of course and substitute 2 cans of drained chopped clams, that’s it. If you want to get fancy and make the clam Fritters casino style just add a little crumbled crisp bacon and finely chopped bell pepper. When they come out of the fryer a squeeze of fresh lemon makes them taste like the real deal.

Apple Fritters

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

2 cups of apples any variety , chopped (or use 2 cups of any ingredient to create the Fritter of your choosing)

Oil for frying

Powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on apple fritters (also great dipped in maple syrup or honey)

Mix Bisquick, milk and egg until well blended. Stir in apples. Drop by small teaspoonfuls into about 2 to 3 inches of deep hot oil (360-375 degrees). Turn and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with sugars, syrups or honey.
Makes roughly 2 dozen