Zucchini Three Ways🍋 And A Lesson About The Birds And The Bees🐝
When life gives you lemons zucchini, make lots of stuff with them! The trick to combining one veggie into a dish three ways is to make each one in the trio stand alone and give each other a delicious flavor boost as well. This is one delicious bit of business. Stuffed zucchini, zucchini stuffing and zucchini pasta ribbons.
If you’re garden is pushing out zucchini faster than you can give it away, try this recipe. And, if you’re on the fence about this particular veggie, try it like this. I promise you will be over the moon!
Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Here’s a twist on a typically fried dish that, I cross-my-heart, will not make you miss the fried taste or the mess frying makes. Baking these stuffed zucchini blossoms are 100% every bit as delicious and beautiful, if not more so, than the fried variety. I thought it would be fun to stuff a zucchini blossom with zucchini (and more!) It really Is an awesome blossom!
The Birds Crazy Pumpkin Growers and The Bees🎃 🐝
First, you need a source for squash blossoms. This time of year, you can find them in almost any garden, so, get up early in the morning with a pair of clippers. If you don’t have your own garden, you can probably hop a fence find a friend or neighbor growing some kind of squash and see if they would like to share.
All squash have these pretty blooms during the growing season. I clip only the male flowers. You can tell the males from the females, as the male flowers are generally long with flowers directly on the stem. The females usually have some type of small bulb right between the flower and the stem, which is the future veggie.
A Little Music, Some Wine And A Tiny Paint Brush
When I was in the practice of growing giant pumpkins, I became very familiar (maybe too familiar) with the pollination of squash from blossoms. So, the story of the birds and the bees is that the pollen comes from the stamen on the male flower. It is picked up by bees, then dropped onto the female flower’s pistil, all by the unknowing visiting bees. They’re just in it for the delicious pollen produced by the male blossom.
In the giant pumpkin game, you can’t leave it to the bees to pollinate the perfect blossom, so we take nature into our own hands, eliminate the middle man and do it ourselves. Yes, that’s right. I would get up before the bees, and that’s early, my friends. I would select the best looking blossom. Using a small painters brush, pollinate the center of the female blossom myself. Sometimes I would even play a little romantic music.
Zucchini #1 and #2
So, the point is to get the blossoms early in the morning. They only last a short time. Wash them very gently and remove any dirt of little garden “helpers”. Remove the stamen. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them. They should be used the same day as they are picked.
In a large saute pan, add 1 large minced shallot and 4 cloves very finely minced garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once the shallot is translucent, add very finely chopped squash. I used 2 medium size zucchini and 1 large crook neck squash.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat about 7-10 minutes, until it’s all very well cooked down, even starting to caramelize and brown a bit. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, add 4 ounces softened goat cheese and zest of one lemon.
Carefully open each blossom and stuff with about 1 tablespoons of the stuffing, then twist the flower petal end to close the flower. Repeat until all are filled. Set aside and make your “dredge” for the stuffed zucchini blossom.
The Dredge
Add 1 cup bread crumbs to a pie plate or shallow bowl. I make mine with day old sourdough in a food processor. If you don’t make your own, I suggest Panko, it’s crunchier and thicker other types. Grate 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoons of seasoned salt or other herbs, such as basil or oregano. Mix well. In a separate bowl, add one egg with 2 tablespoons water or milk and mix well. Roll each blossom in the egg, then place in the breadcrumb and coat completely. Set them onto a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly oiled. Top each with a bit of oil, either by spray or a drizzle.
Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes, until nicely browned.
Zucchini #3
This is super easy and another change of texture which is what makes all the versions of Zucchini work so well together. With my mandolin, set on the very thinnest setting, 1/16, slice one medium size zucchini into ribbons. Lay the ribbons on a plate and lightly salt the top. Lay a paper towel across and under the ribbons to reduce the moisture level.
Put It Together
If you like to make your own pasta, (as you know I do!) you can find my recipe here https://wp.me/P9KEfL-vE . If not, substitute with 1 lb dried fettuccine. Start a large pot filled with water and a tablespoon of salt. Let it come to a boil. In a large saute pan, add 1 cup half & half or cream. Heat on medium high. Add the zest of two large lemons and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Let the mixture come to a boil while the pasta is cooking.
Once the pasta is done, drain and add to the cream and lemon mixture. Reduce the heat to low, add the zucchini ribbons, 1/3 cup of chopped parsley and the juice of 2 lemons and toss to coat well. Turn off the heat and plate. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a stuffed zucchini blossom.
Zucchini Stuffed Zucchini Blossom with Zucchini Ribbons in Creamy Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
- 8 zucchini blossoms
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped very small
- 1 crook neck squash, chopped very small
- 2 shallots minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces goat cheese, softened
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk or water
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs such as basil or oregano
For the Pasta
- 1 medium zucchini sliced to 1/16 inch thick
- 1 lb fettuccini
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 cup half & half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley plus more for garnish
Instructions
For the Zucchini Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
- Wash zucchini blossoms very gently.
- Remove the stamen.
- Wrap them in a damp paper towel and refrigerate until you're ready to cook them. (They should be used the same day as they are picked.)
- In a large saute pan, add 1 large minced shallot and 4 cloves very finely minced garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Once the shallot is translucent, add very finely chopped squash.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cook on medium heat about 5-7 minutes, until it's all very well cooked down.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Once cool, add 4 ounces softened goat cheese and zest of one lemon.
- Carefully open each blossom and fill with about 1 tablespoons of the stuffing, then carefully twist the flower end to close. Repeat until all are filled.
- Set aside and make your "dredge".
- Add breadcrumbs to a plate and mix with grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoons of seasoned salt or other herbs, such as basil or oregano. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, add one egg with 2 tablespoons water or milk and mix well.
- Carefully roll each blossom in the egg, then place in the breadcrumb and coat completely. Set them onto a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly oiled.
- Top each with a bit of oil, either by spray or a drizzle.
- Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes, until nicely browned.
For the Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Using a mandolin set at 1/16, slice 1 zucchini.
- Lay ribbons onto paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt to allow moisture to reduce from the zucchini. (You can do this from 30 minutes up to 2 hours ahead.)
- Start a large pot filled with water and a tablespoon of salt. Let it come to a boil.
- In a large saute pan, add 1 cup half & half or cream. Heat on medium high.
- Add the zest of two large lemons and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
- Let the mixture come to a boil while the pasta is cooking.
- Once the pasta is done, drain and add to the cream and lemon mixture.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the zucchini ribbons, 1/3 cup of chopped parsley and the juice of 2 lemons and toss to coat well.
- Turn off the heat and plate.
- Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a stuffed zucchini blossom.
- Enjoy!
From Karen https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
