What!? Now I’ve got you eating FLOWERS?!
Yep, Thats right, because they are AMAZING!
Known in Italy as ‘fiori di zucca’, Stuffed zucchini flowers are one of Italy's most graceful and elegant street foods. The soft filling is enwrapped and protected by a deliciously crisp outer surface which, when bitten into, reveals a centre of authentic, heavenly flavour!
My recipe is simple, prepared similarly to a jalapeño popper, and is a great launching point for your favourite variation. You can try goat cheese, traditional ricotta, sausage, rice, any herb like basil, dill, parsley, cilantro….
Make them spicy, savoury or sweet!
These Italian Stuffed Zucchini Flowers can be served as a side dish or even an appetizer, believe me once you try these there will be no going back. You will be searching every summer more than once I am sure for these flowers.
Zucchini blossoms must be picked in the early morning, when they are fully open; by mid-morning they will already be closed tight. Pick them gently off of the zucchini plant, mine still have the baby fruit attached and, using a spoon, carefully remove and discard the inner stem. You can store them for a few days in the refrigerator, but keep in mind that the fresher they are, the better they are; they do not keep for longer than 2 – 3 days. In order to store them, stack them together with paper or cotton towel and place them in a solid, airtight container in the fridge.
Simple Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Makes 12 Appetizers
Ingredients: Filling
12 MurrayHill Zucchini Flowers
125g cream cheese, softened
50g goat cheese
1 Tbsp pickled hot peppers, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Batter:
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 can of beer
oil for frying
*Quick Tip: Spoon the cheese into the corner of a plastic sandwich or Ziploc bag. Snip 1/2 inch off the corner, and use this as a makeshift piping bag to gently squeeze the filling into each flower.
Fill each blossom with a Tbsp of filling and gently twist the ends of the petals to close off the end.
Dip in prepared batter and fry in 1” of oil or in a fryer until crispy and golden then lift them out and drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with a quick homemade dip of sour cream and dill or a tomato based sauce depending on your choice of filling.
The best part?, the look on everyone’s faces when they discover how delicious they are!
Remember, this is just the beginning! The possibilities are endless.
Let your imagination roll!