Stuffed zucchini blossoms

[SeaSide Tomato]

So, two years ago I stuffed and fried my first zucchini blossoms. Love them!!

I never got to it when they were in season again last summer--sigh--but I'm waiting for them in my garden now and it looks like I will have a great harvest. Several are ready for plucking.

After my first try two years ago, I've decided to get my stuffing ready ahead, so that on the morning when the blossoms hit critical mass, I can stuff them and leave them in fridge for frying up at dinner time. Why? Last time when I harvasted the blooms later in the day, they had wilted back. I'm thinkng that morning harvesting/stuffing will give me the greatest potential for maximum blossomness.

Well, I'm not much of a fryer (although I do love deep fried foods. I just don't cook them much at home--or order them out too often due to, er, um waistline issues!!) and I don't love regular old riccotta cheese. Since this will be an a la moment dish--and I won't be able to get fabulous ricotta before work in the am--I'm using a soft goat cheese that I can have at the ready (great results wtih this the last time).

Here's what I'll do: mix my goat cheese with herbs from the garden--thai basil, sweet basil, dill, parsley, thyme, chives; a bit of Romano for kick; a drop of cayenne; crushed garlic and a bit of yogurt or milk to get to the right consistency. Then stuff my little darlings.

Later that night, I will dregde the dears in flour, then egg wash, then cornmeal-for a bit of crunch. cook up in about 1/4" of a combo of olivea and grapeseed oil until golden and crispy.

Can't wait!!

So--how do you prepare zucchini blossoms?

[SeaSide Tomato]

Those all sound great!

Escondido123--I have never tempura-ed. Any tips? what are the ratios for the batter?

Thanks!

SeaSide

[rcallner]

I love the blossoms but not the battering or deep-frying. I fill them with a dollop of soft savory herb cheese, something like Boursin, brush with olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt, lay them on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and bake 'til they sort of collapse and the cheese melts. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at that point can be nice.

[nasv]

Between warm tortillas for a "flor de calabaza" quesadilla! (Add you cheese of choice)

[weezieduzzit]

I'm also a fan of goat cheese and herbs (but not too many,) but I like the light airy crunch of Panko for the breading.

Tempura sounds wonderful too. I'll have to try that.

[Joebob]

I've had them your way in Sorrento, and I don't think they can be bettered, though I personally might leave out the cayenne.

[escondido123]

I like them totally plain so the delicate flavor of the flower comes through. Dipped in a tempura batter of corn starch, flour and seltzer, fried in olive oil, sprinkled with Kosher salt, eaten at the moment.