Sunday Morning Brunch - Whole Foods Blossoms
Pick your blossom, zucchini or squash ! No matter which one you pick or I should say are lucky enough to find, this recipe (authentic papa DeMarco recipe) will help you achieve stuffed blossom perfection. Growing up this was an absolute summertime staple in my house, and it never occurred to me until recently that some people out there might not know about these little gems. Not to be confused with actual "little gems" Sorry foodie joke!
Sunday Morning Brunch - Whole Foods Blossoms
So, I have made these a few times this summer and I've been posting pictures on social media. And some folks have been asking me how to make them. So I really wanted to share these with you all. The only difficult thing about this recipe is finding the blossoms themselves. I have harassed every farmer's market stall from Philly , to the Jersey Shore to Lancaster county. But alas, I was fortunate enough to have a visit or two from the blossom fairy.. Aka, my Uncle Sal and Whole Foods Glen Mills (shout out)!
Top left: 1st blossoms of the season. Sort of small, but very yummy Bottom Left: piles of giant blossoms from the Great Chef's Event. Right Side: Uncle Sal in his Garden.
12 zucchini or squash blossoms
1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large organic egg
1/4 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3/4 tsp of sea salt
2/3 cup of all-purposed flour
1 cup of soda water or beer
1 1/2 cups of vegetable or canola oil
Prepare the stuffing:
Step 1: Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, chopped basil, egg and sea salt. Place mixture in refrigerator, while you prep the blossoms.
Prep the blossoms:
Step 1: Slice the green stems off the flowers. Gently wipe them with a damp paper towel, to clean off any dirt.
Step 2: Gently open the petals. It may take a few tries as they can be entwined. Remove the pistil by snipping it off with some scissors.
Fill the blossoms:
Step 1: Gently pipe or spoon about 1-2 tbsp of filling into the flowers.
Step 2: Twist the top of the petals together to close the flowers. Keep in mind that when you twist they will swell, you will need to wipe up the excess and try not to overfill to the point that they are bursting. This will cause you filling to leak into the frying oil.
Set the flowers aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. ( Optional ) Turn on the oven to a very low heat to keep the cooked blossoms warm.
Fry the blossoms:
Step 1: Dip each flower one by one into the batter. Hold it over the bowl to let the excess batter drip off.
Step 2: Cook the flowers until they are lightly crispy for about 2-3 minutes.
Remove flowers from oil with slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet , (salt them immediately ) . At this point you can place them in the oven while you cook the remaining flowers. Once all the flowers have been cooked, serve immediately. I like to serve with either homemade marinara or balsamic vinegar.
Let me know how they turn out! hashtag me #newoldfshndfood tag me @thenewoldfashioned or shoot me an e-mail with questions.
xoxo Anna