Black Bean Fritters

Directions

1. 1
   In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, zucchini, and black beans.
2. 2
   In another bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, baking powder, and brown sugar, and mix well.
3. 3
   Add the dry ingredients to the vegetables in the large bowl, and fold until well coated (careful not to crush the black beans).
4. 4
   Add the buttermilk, eggs, salt, and pepper, and stir together until the batter forms - it should resemble very thick pancake batter; if the batter is too thick, you can add buttermilk then an egg until the correct consistency is achieved.
5. 5
   In a large deep pan or deep fryer, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and drop a spoonful of batter into the hot oil; fry until golden brown then remove, drain, let cool a bit and then taste it to see if the seasonings are to your liking - adjust seasoning if necessary.
6. 6
   Drop completed batter by large spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry fritters until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side, and they're slightly puffed and cooked through.
7. 7
   Drain well, serve, and enjoy!
8. 8
   These go well with a nice green chile sauce and/or sour cream.
9. 9
   I've also eaten these quite happily for breakfast!
10. 10
    Note: black soybeans can be used in place of the regular black beans, too. Also, please be advised that these are a *fried* food, and therefore need to be drained well! As with all fried foods, the different oils used for frying can change the outcome. I personally use peanut oil because it has a higher temperature point. Draindraindrain (and perhaps dab with paper towels) if you don't want your fritters to get greasy - if drained properly, they'll be perfect. :).
11. 11
    These fritters come highly recommended by family, friends, and the professional chef who created them. :).