Little Grandma’s Summer Classic… with a Side of Sass
A crispy summer favorite, straight from my Italian grandmother’s kitchen.
If you’re going to share recipes on your blog, you might as well begin with the good stuff—and for me, that’s Grandma Jane. “Little Grandma,” as we called her, or “Shorty” as my dad referred to her, stood just 4 feet, 11 inches tall but was bursting with life, laughter, and enough personality to fill a room.
She was the kind of grandma who didn’t just watch from the porch—she played. Little Grandma let us push her down snowy hills on a sled to test our homemade ramps. She chased tennis balls down the block and played “elevator” in closets and cabinets. And when it came time to “cheat” at cards, “Shorty” always looked the other way and let us win. With a wink.
She wasn’t just cheeky, she was classy, too…
She was also glam. Like, full-on Elizabeth Taylor in her tiny frame: posing in pictures with one hand on her hip, the other to her hair, always donning fabulous hats and stylish shoes. Frumpy meets fabulous, and all of it unforgettable. She tanned in the backyard, laughed with her whole body, and made the best fried zucchini I’ve ever tasted. If you knew her, you loved her.
And the woman could cook.
One of my favorite memories is standing alongside her as she made batch after batch of fried zucchini. The perfect crispy rounds would barely touch the paper towel she’d lay them on before my fingers would be sneaking in to grab them. She’d swat my brother and I away, scolding us—with no bite, of course—insisting we let them cool.
Little Grandma used to say, ‘You don’t need a reason to fry zucchini—just a garden and some good olive oil.’ She wasn’t wrong.
This recipe is a slightly updated version of her original: crispy, salty, and perfect for utilizing your summer garden bounty. My version is just a slight tweak from hers, using potato starch in place of flour to get that shatter-crisp edge I love. The dredging process is simple but sacred, and the result is a salty, crunchy, nostalgic bite of summer. It’s nothing fancy—but it tastes like childhood and sunshine.
Ingredients
2–3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about ½ cm thick)
½ cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
2 large eggs
1.5 cup 4C seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil, for frying
Salt, to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Slice your zucchini thinly and evenly. A mandolin works well, but a sharp knife is just fine.
- Set up your dredging station:
- Bowl 1: Potato starch
- Bowl 2: Beaten eggs
- Bowl 3: Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan (roughly 70/30 ratio)
- Dredge each zucchini slice in potato starch, then dip in egg, then coat in the breadcrumb/parmesan mix.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Fry zucchini slices in batches, about 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. While hot, sprinkle with salt.
- Serve immediately. Try not to eat them all standing at the stove. 😉
This one’s for you, Grandma. You seasoned everything with love (and extra garlic).
Zucchini, with a Side of Sass: Little Grandma’s Summer Classic
Ingredients
Method
- Slice zucchini into even rounds—thin but not paper-thin. Use a mandolin or a sharp knife.Set up your dredging station with three bowls:Bowl 1: Potato starchBowl 2: Beaten eggsBowl 3: Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan (70/30 ratio)Working in batches, coat each zucchini slice in potato starch, then dip in egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb-parm mixture.Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Fry slices in batches until golden and crisp, about 1–3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle immediately with salt while still hot and oily.Serve warm and crispy!