Here’s a zesty addition to your summer menu: toothsome little fritters filled with red bell pepper and sweet corn that your children will adore, along with a tangy mustard sauce to please adult palates as well.

These fritters will disappear in a flash, and you’ll be happy knowing that your family is getting a boost of colorful antioxidant nutrition as well as great taste.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup fresh corn, or frozen corn, thawed
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
oil for cooking

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the onion for around 3 minutes, until softened. Add the peppers and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add corn, and salt and pepper to taste, then set vegetables aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Add nutmeg and parsley, mixing to combine, then make a well in the center of this flour mixture.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and milk, then pour into the well in the center of the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly, then add cooked vegetables and mix again.

4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff, then fold gently into the batter.

5. Heat a little oil in a large, heavy skillet, then drop the batter in by large tablespoons. Cook in batches until golden brown, around 30 seconds on each side. Keep cooked fritters warm on a separate plate while you do each batch.

6. May be served with Tangy Mustard Sauce on the side, but these are fabulous with no accompaniment at all.

Tangy Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped finely
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.