The dog days of summer are here, and while some may welcome the sultry weather as ample and justifiable reason for idleness, backyard gardeners are busy, happily harvesting the longed-for fruits of their labor. Finally, we can enjoy that incomparable taste of homegrown tomatoes. And zucchini.
Zucchini is by far the easiest vegetable to grow, and if you’ve ever planted any, you know that they can multiply well beyond your wildest imagination, often producing specimens more than two feet long and wider than a wine bottle. Indeed, for many home-growers their zucchini patch does runneth over. Which leads us to the zucchini problem.
An undeniable truth about backyard gardeners is that they abhor the very thought of throwing away anything they have grown. So they give it away. Thus, neighbors, friends and relatives even remotely connected to a home gardener generally find themselves bombarded with bags and bundles of this ubiquitous summer squash. A good friend complained that it was like trying to dodge a Girl Scout during cookie season (not that anyone would). Once I even found a dozen zucchini in my mailbox.
Fortunately, there is a solution to the zucchini problem that’s not to be found in the glut of recipes for zucchini bread, cakes or cookies. The answer, both simple and delicious, is to nip it in the bud. Or should I say blossom?
Zucchini blossoms are not only edible, they are luscious, scrumptious, and delectable. If you have a zucchini patch, you have a mouth-watering delicacy right at your fingertips. And if you’re worried that you won’t have enough zucchini left, pick only the male blossoms, which are narrow stemmed, and leave the females, which you can identify by the slight bulge at their base which is actually a sprouting zucchini.
Should you need to buy zucchini blossoms, try the Farmers’ Market. Even if the grower doesn’t have any on hand, request them for the following week. You may have to pay in advance, but it’s well worth it.
Simple is best. Here is the best way to prepare them:
Classic Fried Zucchini Blossoms
Serves 4
12 to 14 zucchini blossoms
1 cup of water
2/3 cup flour, about
1 ½ cups vegetable oil, enough to come ¾ inch up the sides of a small skillet
Salt
Gently wash the blossoms under cold running water and dry them well on paper towels.
Check for insects and remove the pistil from the center of the flowers before using.
If the stems are very long, cut them down to 1 inch in length.
Cut the base of the blossom on one side and open the flower flat, without dividing it.
To make the batter, put one cup of water in a soup plate and gradually add the flour, sifting it through a sieve and constantly beating the mixture with a fork until all the flour has been added. The batter should have the consistency of sour cream.
Heat the oil over high heat. When it is very hot, dip the blossoms quickly in and out of the batter and slip them into the skillet.
When they are golden brown on one side, turn them and cook them to golden brown on the other side.
Transfer to paper towels to drain, sprinkle with salt and serve promptly while still hot.