809 bread and onion stuffed zucchini flowers

Bread and Onion Stuffed Zucchini Flowers (serves 4, or really 2 because you will want to eat them all)

12 zucchini flowers, washed well
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cups crusty bread (ciabatta, baguette, etc…), cut into very small cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
Approximately 1-1/4 cups flour

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft. Add the bread, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes. Add enough water to the mixture to bind the bread pieces together, and continue to cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Stuff each zucchini flower with the bread mixture, taking care not to tear the sides of each flower too much. Now, heat the vegetable oil in a clean frying pan over medium-high heat. Coat each stuffed zucchini flower in some buttermilk, followed by a nice coating of flour, then put it in the frying pan. Cook for just 1-2 minutes on each side, until they are crisp and golden all over. Drain on paper towels, then serve.

 

So bright yellow they almost look orange, zucchini flowers are nearly irresistible to farmers market shoppers. Yet it seems many people don't know what to do with them once they've bought them. My favorite way is to deep-fry them in a very light, almost tempura-like batter. Whisk enough ice water into flour that it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Dip the flowers in the batter, give them a twirl to get rid of any excess batter, and fry them in hot oil until they're crunchy--just two or three minutes. That's just one idea.

How to choose: Choose flowers that have been picked early in the morning and are tightly closed (they're more likely to be bug-free). Rinse them gently under cold water and tease them open with your finger just to make sure. Also, I prefer male flowers (just stems, no squash attached) because by the time the squash is cooked through, the flowers are usually overdone.

How to store: Zucchini flowers should be refrigerated tightly sealed.

How to prepare: If you don't want to fry them, cut zucchini flowers into shreds and add them to a risotto or a quesadilla filling.