Zucchini Blossom Fritters-Frittelle di Fiori di Zucca

Get your veggies in a flower!

If you have a garden this year, and are growing zucchini but have never used the blossoms...well, do I have a surprise for you!   Italians from Calabria (where my family comes from) knew how to take advantage of every part of that wonderful vegetable.  My mom made these every day there were blossoms on the zucchini, and we never got tired of them.  So, run out now and plant some zucchini!  This is one recipe you'll want to make sure you try!

It's important that you get out and pick them early in the morning, (like, even before you drink your coffee) while the blossoms are wide open and before any bees or bugs take up permanent residency in there.  These flowers close up by mid-morning and that's it for the day.  After you clean them, just cover them with plastic wrap and they'll stay fresh in your refrigerator until time for dinner.  You can pick them with the stems or snap them right off the fruit.  This won't affect the growth of your zucchini, I promise!

And please, don't be afraid to eat some flowers...no matter how pretty they look, they taste even better! 

Ingredients:
8-9 squash blossoms, open by tearing down one side, then fold together
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of black pepper
water as needed to thin batter
Oil for frying

The lovely zucchini blossom

Don't forget to prepare the squash blossoms by inspecting each flower for dirt, bees or bugs.  (Tiny critters tend to hide inside the blossoms.)

Gently rinse under slow running water, and dry with paper towels. Remove the pistil from inside each flower, and the green spikes from around the bottom.

Place on paper towels and pat dry.

Mix together flour, baking powder, egg, grated cheese, parsley, salt, and a pinch of pepper so that you get the consistency of thin pancake batter.  (If it's not thin enough, add water, a little at a time.)

Heat oil for frying in a skillet until medium hot.  (You’ll want enough in there so the blossom will  sink to the bottom and then fluff up while frying.  Be sure not to fry too many together at one time.)

When the oil is hot, dip each blossom into the batter and let excess drip back into the bowl.    Place gently into hot oil.  Fry on both sides until golden brown, this should take a few minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with a little salt, if desired.


Be encouraged!

Don't allow temptation to get the best of you, cast your cares on the Lord. "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"  -Jeremiah 32:27