These crisp, sweet-savory fritters are a great way to get even the pickiest anti-veggie eaters to eat seasonal vegetables.

Fritters are a great way to use up seasonal vegetables in a fun, delicious way that will appeal to most anyone—kids, vegetarians, and picky eaters alike. Now, when I say fritter, I don’t mean deep-fried, apple-stuffed donuts (and I certainly don’t mean the turducken of donuts). These are the shredded vegetable type, lightly held together with batter or breadcrumbs, and pan-fried in just enough oil to cook the vegetables to tenderness and create a crisp crust.

In the summertime, I use up an abundance of zucchini by shredding it, mixing it with plenty of herbs and feta, and then cooking them into golden bites of heaven (check out the recipe for Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Yogurt-Herb Dip). Sweet corn, folded into a delicate batter, makes a great bite-sized fritter appetizer, and a new and interesting way to use all the corn piled high in the markets.

In the wintertime, when there are fewer vegetable options—let’s be honest, I’m a summer veggie kind of gal—I get bored pretty quickly once I’ve run through the standard roasted root vegetable, kale salad, pureed winter squash recipes. Plus, in my household, I don’t find winter veggies to be nearly as kid-friendly. Or me-friendly!

Enter root veggie fritters. Basically just an updated version of a potato latke (always a winner in my book), these fritters are colorful and flavorful and will liven up your winter veggie blues! Here, I’ve used carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, but you can mix it up and experiment with whatever root veg you like.

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For a fun party-friendly appetizer, serve these in bite-sized portions with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley.

For a starter-sized portion, perfect for your next dinner party, make slightly larger fritters, and serve them with herbed yogurt sauce.

The fritters can be made up to 3 hours in advance, and left at room temperature. Warm on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 350F oven until crisp and hot, about 15 minutes.

Recipe: Root Veggie Fritters

Makes about 2 dozen (2-inch) fritters

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrot, peeled first (about 2 medium)
1 cup grated parsnip, peeled first (about 4 small)
1 cup grated sweet potato, peeled first (about 6 oz)
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
Plain Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Shred the (peeled) carrot, parsnip, and sweet potato on the large holes of a box grater. Add to a mixing bowl with the onion, eggs, flour, feta, and parsley and stir well to combine.

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Add to a mixing bowl with the onion, eggs, flour, feta, and parsley and stir well to combine. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Warm a large cast-iron or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and heat until hot. In batches, add dollops (about 1 heaping tablespoon each for bite-sized fritters) of the veggie mixture, pressing it into a round cake that is about 2 inches in diameter.

In batches, add dollops of the veggie mixture, pressing it into a round cake that is about 2 inches in diameter. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Cook, turning a few times, until golden brown and crispy and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-low to make sure the fritters don’t burn before they are cooked through.

Cook, turning a few times, until golden brown and crispy and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Transfer to the baking sheet and place in a low oven (200F) to keep warm while you finish the rest of the fritters which can be placed on a cooling rack.

Transfer to the baking sheet and place in a low oven (200F) to keep warm while you finish the rest of the fritters which can be placed on a cooling rack. (Wendy Goodfriend)

When ready to serve, transfer the fritters to a platter. Dollop with the yogurt, if you like, then garnish with chopped parsley.

When ready to serve, transfer the fritters to a platter. Dollop with the yogurt, if you like, then garnish with chopped parsley. (Wendy Goodfriend)

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Holiday Party Food: Root Veggie Fritters

Summer Decadence: Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Yogurt-Herb Dip