Zucchini Flowers

A festive, prized ingredient that reeks of summer is the Zucchini blossom. Pick them in the morning when they are open; the suns rays triggers the flower to close. The male flower has the zucchini attached while the female flower is on a stalk. I either leave the male to reach full term in it’s pregnant state and then harvest the zucchini, or pick the male flower with tender young zucchini attached. In my restaurant days, we’d snip out the stamen and stigma, fill the flower with crab mousseline and steam them. The delicate art was in keeping the flower still attached to the zucchini which was subsequently fanned onto the crab bisque reduction. Back then Flock of Seagulls and Wham were on the music charts and I used to tuck my shirt in. Now that the shirt is out and I listen to Justin Bieber, I’d still do the stuffed zucchini flower. I will post a recipe soon for a light batter and quick fry of the female flowers.