We got these lovely zucchini blossoms at the Unidale Mall Farmer's Market for $1. Yes, we have zucchini blossoms in our garden, but I didn't have the heart to abort the future zucchinis.
We brought them home, put the bouquet in water and quickly learned that they have an extremely short shelf life (use day of picking, not next day). So we went back to the Unidale Farmer's Market and got another bundle and we were off. John made delicious, and entirely unhealthy zucchini blossoms stuffed with herbed goat cheese and then fried. This resulted in a dish that would put any MN State Fair Food to shame.
I used the fresh herbs that were ready in our garden - basil, oregano, flat leaf parsley and a few sage leaves. Finely chop the herbs and one clove of garlic, mix with about 6 oz of softened goat cheese.
Prepare the batter - mix 1/2 cup of flour, 1/8 cup of corn starch, 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
Mix in 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup of beer.
I used Agunita's Pale Ale and found that it made an excellent tasting batter coating. Any quality beer will work, but may have variations in flavor. Mix well.
Spoon 1/2 Tablespoon to 1 Tablespoon of the herb goat cheese into the center of each blossom. Fold the leaves over the center, overlapping one another, to form a packet. Trim the stem to about 4 inches.
Dip the stuffed blossom into batter and roll to coat thoroughly.
I used a wok filled with about 2" of canola oil. Heat until a cube of bread browns in 10-15 seconds. Carefully slide a battered blossom into hot oil, being careful not to splash.
Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. After about a minute, flip the blossom (using tongs) to fry the other side.
After about 3 minutes total cooking time, when both sides are crispy and lightly browned, use tongs to remove the blossom from oil, transfer to a plate with a layer of paper toils to drain.
Eat while these are still warm. These are little packets of heaven!
The delicate zucchini bosoms have a lovely flavor. we look forward to trying them in other recipes.
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