These zucchini feta rye berry cakes with roasted cherry tomatoes is by far my favorite way to make a zucchini “fritter”. It’s really more of a cake or patty because the rye berries add so much dense chewy texture.
The cakes are delicious on their own, but the cherry tomatoes and yogurt make this something special. The sweetness and slight acidity of the tomatoes balances the earthy, tangy notes of the rye berries while the yogurt adds a creamy luscious texture.
What is a rye berry? It is the seed from rye, a type of wheat. It has a tangy, sour flavor that is not found in other wheat grains. That being said, any other wheat grain will work in this recipe, but the flavor profile will be a little different. You could try wheat berries, farro, or kamut if you can’t find rye.
Ground sumac (the red spice in the photo above) is a great match with the rye berries, also having a tangy sour flavor. It is used in zaatar seasoning blends and can be used any place that you want to add a little sour note. Think of it like lemon. If you would but lemon in a recipe, you could also use sumac. The bonus of sumac is that it is dried and therefore easier to keep on hand than fresh lemons.
Variations to the Zucchini Feta Rye Berry Cakes with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes recipe:
- Onion: If you don’t like strong onion flavor, saute the onions first. I love onions, so I used them fresh.
- Herbs: I love the combo of tomato and basil, but you could use just about any herb that you have on hand. Try rosemary, oregano, dill, or Italian seasoning.
- Cheese: Swap the feta for another salty cheese, like sharp cheddar! I would avoid a tangy cheese, like goat cheese, because the cakes already have a lot of that going on.
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 2 cup cooked rye berries, from ⅔ cup dry
- ½ cup panko
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
- 3 TBS whole wheat flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground sumac (optional, but delicious)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 TBS olive oil
- ½ cup whole milk yogurt
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Spread the tomatoes out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel with ¼ tsp salt. Let this rest 5-10 minutes, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can over the sink.
- In a large bowl, combine zucchini, cooked rye berries, panko, red onion, feta, flour, garlic, basil, pepper, sumac, eggs and remaining ½ tsp salt. Stir until well combined.
- Form into 12 small patties. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a skillet, and cook half of the cakes until golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes. Cook remaining 6 cakes in the remaining TBS olive oil.
- Serve cakes with yogurt and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
