Here is an excellent tuna cake recipe made with pantry staples and garden ingredients.
When summer is almost over and you are growing food, that usually means that summer squash comes out of your ears. Zucchini and button squash are fast growing once they have taken off (and when the weather conditions are suitable); even just two plants will give you an overload of them at some point. The good thing is that summer squash is a delicious and versatile vegetable; you can cook it daily without eating the same meals. What I love about garden cooking with an abundant yield is discovering new recipes and having the opportunity to be more creative. This recipe is inspired by the Australian favourite “zucchini fritters" and Canadian-American maritime "crab cakes” but made with tinned tuna. Not having many options for fish or seafood when living inland far from supermarkets (unless you have fishing skills and time), tins are often the most affordable and convenient way to have some of it in our diet. I have created this recipe using my garden courgettes (zucchinis) and elephant garlic, which are a bit bigger and milder than the conventional garlic (but can also be used in this recipe). I cook them a couple of times over the summer and do variations depending on what I get from the garden. Here's the basic recipe!
It's tuna zucchinis time! • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups zucchini or summer squash, grated
1 elephant garlic clove (or conventional garlic)
1 spring onion (or small onion)
Fresh herbs at the taste
½ lemon
1 egg
1 tuna tin (185g) in springwater, liquid strained
1/3 cup breadcrumb
1/3 cup flour
¼ cup parmesan, grated
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch of pepper
PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 200/400FC
In a small pan, brown the onion and garlic in oil, add the zucchini and stir for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool down a little.
Strain the excess liquid with a colander.
In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients (except the lemon).
Add the cooked squash mixture and mix it all well.
Form about 6 cm diameter patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden.
Squeeze some lemon juice on and serve with fresh garden salad and veggies.
