I love Italian cuisine, so I have always been intrigued by zucchini flowers. I saw them in their culinary programs and admired it on Italian blogs. For a long time, however, I didn’t have the courage to use them in my kitchen. In the end I came across fresh specimens in the estate greengrocer and decided to take a chance. I made them a light, summer dinner – I stuck ricotta and dried tomatoes, and then fried in the dough. They came out delicate, golden, crunchy and definitely conquered my heart.
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Zucchini flowers are very fragile and have a delicate, slightly sweet taste with a honey note. They are collected from the end of May to October and necessarily early in the morning, when they are the latest and slightly parted. They can be found in two versions – female (with small zucchini at the stalk) and male (on a thin stalk). Men’s these are much more often used for stuffingbecause they are lighter and are easier to fill with stuffing.
Zucchini flowers are very popular in Italywhere they are served stuffed, fried, and even raw (as a decoration of salads). On the Internet I also met with recipes for zucchini flowers in tempura, pickled, marinated or with meat filling. This is a really light and grateful ingredient that can be prepared in many ways. I have the impression that it is still underrated in Poland.
Zucchini flowers may look inconspicuous, but this is a real treasury of good ingredients. They contain a lot of water, few calories (w 100 g to ok. 25 kcal) And they are easily digestible. They work great in the summer, when thirst increases and the appetite decreases.
They are a source of vitamins (A, C and those from group B) and minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus). Thanks to this, they have a positive effect on the eye and condition of the skin, bones and muscles, and also support the nervous system and heart work. Additionally contain dietary fiber and antioxidantswhich strengthen immunity, have anti -cancer potential, delay aging, help cleanse the body of toxins and improve digestion.
They can be eaten in a light, natural and healthy food – especially in combination with crunchy green salad.
When I took zucchini flowers for the first time, I knew that I wanted to fill them with something cream and salty. I chose dried tomatoes and ricotta, because I associated this combination with Italy. Instead of a classic pancake cake, I made a kind of hybrid – between pancake dough and pizza. I did not use eggs or yeast – I just combined type 00 flour, water and olive oil. It was supposed to be simple and fast, like in Italian cuisine. In this way a light and delicate but filling dish was created.
Ingredients:
- 8 zucchini flowers,
- 200 g of type 00 flour (as for pizza),
- 200 ml of cooled sparkling water,
- a tablespoon of olive oil,
- 2 pinches of salt,
- 450 g ricotty,
- 8 dried tomatoes,
- oil for deep frying,
- Salt, pepper, oregano for seasoning.
Method of performance:
At the beginning Gently wash the zucchini flowers (If they are extremely fragile, clean them with a brush) and dry them on a piece of paper towel. Remove the posts from the inside of the flowers very carefully (but so that they don’t fall apart). Set aside.
Then Prepare the cake. Sift flour into a bowl, pour in sparkling water, add oil and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine the ingredients and form a smooth mass all the time. Set aside
Get on the stuffing. Transfer Ricotta to a sieve to drip and dry. Dried tomatoes chop it into pieces.
Fill each drained zucchini flower with a filling – with a spoon of ricotta and one dried tomato (in pieces). Gently close the flower (turning its vertices).
Heat the oil in a frying pan (pour a lot of it). Immerse the prepared flowers in the dough and fry in hot fat, until golden. Transfer to a paper towel to collect excess oil. Season with salt, pepper or oregano before serving.
Source: NowowoPuje.pl
