Juicy Post: Zucchini Flower Power

Birds and Bees ABCs

Wondering about those boxes of zucchini blossoms, now beckoning beguilingly in farmers’ markets? I hope this post about zucchini blossom recipes makes readers yield to temptation and give them a chance.  Zucchini blossoms are so much more than salad decorations. First, they can be used effectively along with other greens.  Just tear the petals off, mix them into the salad, but they’re tender so please add the dressing at the last minute before serving. 

If you are seduced by the ease of growing zucchini and similar squashes, the blossoms are an alternative to the bloated August logs you leave on your neighbor’s porch or in your compost pile.  Cut the blossoms off before they have a chance to become the monster jokes on late night TV. You may already know  that these plants have both male and female blossoms. Male squash blossoms are hairier and have a thin base where they attach to a long stem. Females have a thick bulge, which is the ovary, where the squash grows from the plant. You can wait until  a small squash appears and then pick the female blossom along with it. This blossom and tiny squash combination is delicious as part of a deep fried appetizer or sauteed as a side dish. There are actually quite a few amazing zucchini blossom recipes to enjoy.

 

 

 

Nip It In The Bud

 The site Gardening Know How (which, as a recovering Black Thumb, I visit frequently) advises that morning is the best time for picking squash flowers. The male flowers appear first and should be picked before they become too hairy. Female blooms are considered the tastiest, but judge how many full grown squashes you ultimately want on your plants before harvesting. By squeezing the back of the bloom, it is easy to discern the flat end of the male flower from the more bulbous end of the female one.

I have found that if you purchase squash blossoms, you should use them the day you buy them.  If they are wilted after a day or two in the fridge,  then use them in a  quesadilla, soup, or risotto. When picked from  a friend’s garden, I can keep them in paper towels in a flat  covered container in the fridge overnight or even a couple of days.  Male blossoms will last longer in the fridge than the females. You open the blossom to remove the pistil inside, along with the occasional deceased bug.  I brush them with a paper towel if cleaning is needed. To fill, either used a little coffee spoon or a plain 1/2 inch pastry tip with a pastry bag.  I prefer a 16 inch size bag, as that gives you plenty of room to twist the open end and create a grip. Once you have filled (usually less than a tablespoon is plenty) the blossom, twist the top petals together to create a seal. You can refrigerate for an hour before frying, but filling and frying at the same time is best. 

Fried, Steamed, And  Marinated

Even though I have found a few zucchini blossom recipes in French cookbooks (kind of fussy recipes with crabmeat or layered in sauce),  those I use most often are from Italian and Mexican recipe sources. One of the most sensational dishes I ever ate was a zucchini souffle with a  sublime sauce of zucchini blossoms and truffles at Ristorante Il Pinturrchio in Spello. I tried to recreate it (without truffle shavings) and failed miserably. Spello, famed for its flower festivals,  is on the way to Assisi and is worth a visit (wear climbing shoes, this is not the place to sport your heels). And when you need a meal break from this very curated town, this would be my restaurant choice. 

 

For frying the blossoms, either filled or unfilled, this is the batter recipe I use most often. It is from Patricia Wells’ Trattoria cookbook, which was published in 1993.  She in turn credits the recipe to Cesare Benelli, the chef-owner of Al Covo in Venice.  I have sometimes added a bit of lemon zest or finely chopped fresh herbs to this pillowy batter.  In fact, you can used this batter for any fritto misto combination, seafood,  or finely sliced vegetables.  I have also stuffed the blossoms with ricotta and herbs or a piece of mozzarella with a basil leaf before dipping them into this batter and frying. I also salt the batter. In frying, I use my carbon steel wok and find that 16 inch tongs from Messermeister are great tools.  This length of the insulated handles on this size really is better for spatter insurance than shorter versions. 

 

 

As much as I love fried squash blossoms, this Italian version of marinating them and then using them as a garnish for an antipasto platter or salad is quite easy and provides a delicate but sparkling flavor. You need to let them marinate filled for at least 20 minutes, but I have let them go a couple of hours.  This particular recipe I got from one of those Italian cooking magazines that appear at newstands and grocery stores and then they disappear.  This issue of Cucinare is from May, 2015 and I have never found the magazine again.  It is chock full of interesting recipes you never see on websites.  

 

 

One of the most inspiring books you can read before you embark on a trip to a Farmers Market is the latest one from David Tanis, aptly titled Market Cooking.  Sometimes, I just go in to a market blind and then look up what he says about a particular fruit or vegetable. His recipes are always spot on in directions and results and they are in many cases unusual. I use his recipe for stuffing zucchini blossoms given here, when I do fried stuffed blossoms.  But in this one, they are lightly steamed in a buttery broth for a few minutes and the result is truly unctuous. If you can get sheeps milk ricotta, all the better.  Bellweather Farms makes an excellent one. I have also found a couple of other brands at Wegmans.  David Tanis writes a regular column for the New York Times Cooking Section that is worth checking.  He always has an interesting take on a dish (plus really good instructions).  I get questions from readers on what pans I use.  In this case it is the 11.5 inch frypan from Mauviel’s M’Cook series.