Beautiful Blossoms

I found some zucchini blossoms at the grocery earlier this week and bought them just because they were so beautiful. Not sure what to do with them, I asked my Twitter followers for suggests, and got some good ideas. Ultimately decided to stuff them with cheese and herbs, dredge them in a light batter, and quickly fry them. I don't often fry, but this seemed like it would be relatively simple and tasty treat for the family.


Squash Blossom Treats

12 squash blossoms
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup Parmesan
2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
vegetable oil
1 cup water
3/4 cup seltzer

Mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and basil; salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Carefully open the blossoms and remove the stamens. Stuff each blossom with a spoonful of cheese mixture; twirl the top of the petals to seal. Refrigerate the stuffed blossoms for half an hour to firm them up a bit. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, mix the flour and the seltzer water into a batter. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Heat about 3/4-inch of vegetable oil in a shallow pan until hot enough to fry. Test the oil by dropping a few drips of batter into it; the batter should immediately float and begin to brown up. Dredge each stuffed blossom in the batter, making sure to cover it completely, and then fry, one or two at a time, until the batter is crisp and golden. Remove to a surface lined with newspaper; lightly sprinkle with salt while still hot from the pan. Serve immediately.