Kelly Rossiter
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The first time I bought zucchini blossoms at the farmers' market, I got them because they were so pretty, and looked like an exotic thing to make. I didn't really know what to do with them, and the result was pretty lame. I have persevered over the last couple of years, but my family always looks askance when I come home with them. This year I finally got it right, perhaps because I actually searched out a recipe to make them instead of just trying to make something up. They don't last more than a week or two at the farmers' market, so now is the time to get them. You can keep your eyes open for squash blossoms later in the season.
These little blossoms would make a great appetizer for a dinner party, or backyard barbeque. You can stuff the flowers beforehand and keep them refrigerated and then dredge them in the tempura batter and fry them just before you serve them. I don't normally advocate making things at the last minute, but these are quite different from the normal fare you get at a party. They take only a couple of minutes to cook, so you wouldn't be trapped in the kitchen for any length of time.
You can usually just brush the flowers off, but if they are really dirty you can lightly run some water over them and dry them carefully on paper towels. Be sure to check them carefully for any bugs.
The original recipe called for drying your own tomatoes, but that seemed like too much work. I don't think it matters whether you use the dry tomatoes or those packed in olive oil. If you use the oiled tomatoes, I would use 1 teaspoon of olive oil rather than the two called for. I also used much less oil for frying than the original recipe calls for. I didn't really feel the need to deep fry them.
Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
For zucchini blossoms:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 oz mild fresh goat cheese (6 tablespoons) at room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted until they puff
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
12 zucchini blossoms, stamens removed
For tempura batter and frying:
Enough vegetable oil for about 1/4" depth in pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sparkling water
- Stir together goat cheese, cream, pumpkin seeds, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and fold in the sun-dried tomatoes. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of this filling into each blossom and twist ends of petals gently to close. Chill, covered, until ready to fry.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan or large skillet. Whisk together flour and salt in bowl, then whisk in sparkling water until combined well. Coat blossoms in batter, lifting each out by its stem and letting excess drip off, then fry, turning, until batter is crisp (it will not brown), 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. If you have too many to fit into the pan, fry them in batches. Transfer blossoms as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels, drain, then season with salt.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Adapted from Gourmet, October, 2001
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