Yesterday, a new friend and reader, John, asked me about zucchini flowers. He mentioned seeing them (while looking for patty pan squash!) at our local grocery store, but wasn’t sure how to use them. I didn’t know either, so I did what any foodie does: searched online for information, and then bee-lined to the store first thing this morning.
Success!!!
So, I made a quick appetizer with our lunch today to see how they taste.
Stuffed and Baked Zucchini Flowers
- 4 zucchini flowers, rinsed and stamens removed
- 1 oz. your choice of creamy cheese (goat, feta, etc.)
- 1 t. italian seasoning
- 1/4 t. garlic powder
- 1/4 t. black pepper
- EVOO Misto
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix cheese, seasoning, garlic powder and pepper together in a small bowl.
3. Gently spoon the cheese mixture into the flowers, and twist the petal tips to close.
4. Spritz the flowers with a bit of EVOO, and bake for about 10 minutes.
These were tasty little appetizers! The warm herbed cheese was delicious with the delicate flavor accent of the flower.
If you’re having guests over, the zucchini flowers would definitely make for a unique appetizer. The visual appeal is what “makes” it. Has anyone else ever worked with zucchini flowers before? How did you use them?
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Interesting! Are they chewy or tender?
They were not overly chewy. Almost like rice paper, when it’s used as wrap and lightly baked.
Wow, that seems good and pretty easy. A interesting appetizer for a party!
Found this little breakdown about how to pick and use squash blossoms on Rick Bayless’ site. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/glossary?id=35
Looks like the #1 use is as a quesadilla filling. One of his books has a recipe for a creamy rich squash blossom soup too.
I loooove squash blossoms- but rarely buy them because they’re so pricey!
I’ve only ever had them fried (a TOTAL indulgence!!) – but it’s good to know that they are delicious baked as well!
And you really can’t go wrong stuffing ANYTHING with goat cheese.
Goat cheese — Totally agree!
they’re just beautiful! one of my fave things ever to take pics of at the farmer’s market is squash/zuke blossoms..nature is just so gorgeous
They are pretty! But I need to work on my photography skills–your pictures are always beautiful!
YUM! I randomly stopped at a little market and the women inside was sautéing them! love this idea!
Last year my zucchini plant was AMAZING. It produced so much zucchini I had to give it away and by the end of the summer I was shredding it and freezing it for winter because I had so much. There were also blossoms and I knew you could eat them but I didn’t know how or what to do. I will save this for next year!
Can’t believe I was at Mariano’s the day before you posted this, almost picked them up to play around with. I’ve seen them before and I’ve wanted to play around with them. I’ll have to pick them up before they’re no longer in season once I’m done with my #25recipesin2days and the cookbook is released!