Courgette Fritters

Allotment owners often have a glut of Summer produce and only having a small courtyard garden myself I'm always grateful to be the recipient of friends' excess crops.  Courgettes seem to be running rampant with so much rain lately, so I've enjoyed experimenting making courgette fritters.  They make a wonderful supper served with crisy bacon, along with an avocado and tomato salad.  The following ingredients will make approximately 12 fritters:

3 or 4 courgettes depending on size
1 large onion (white or red - whatever you have to hand)
1 red chilli pepper (optional)
3 eggs
125g self raising flour (or a couple of tablespoons if you don't have scales to hand)
125g (half a tub) of ricotta

Firstly chop the onion and soften this in a good glug of olive oil in a frying pan for a few minutes. If you're using the chilli to give a peppery kick chop this finely and add to the onion so they cook together.  Meanwhile grate the courgettes and place in a large bowl along with the lightly beaten eggs and ricotta.  Once the onion is ready combine this with the courgette mixture.  Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in the frying pan and over a medium heat fry the fritters in batches.  Depending on the size of the fritter they will take three minutes or so each side.  If you're serving with bacon this should be cooking at the same time and it's a good idea to prepare the avocado and tomato salad in advance, or whatever else you may be serving the fritters with, to avoid that last minute rush of trying to get everything ready on the plate at once.  These fritters really are very quick and easy, as well as more exciting than courgettes in their own right.