L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano T o g e t h e r w i t h artichokes, zuc- c h i n i f l o w e r s are considered to be a great delica- cy in Italy and are used in a variety of dishes. They are especially wonderful served fried or baked as an appetiz- er. If you have your own veg- e t a b l e g a r d e n , y o u m i g h t have realized that zucchini plants produce both male a n d f e m a l e f l o w e r s . T h e male flowers don't produce a zucchini but exist to polli- nate the females. Male flowers are recog- n i z a b l e b y t h e i r l o n g , straight stems with a single stamen in the center of each b l o s s o m . F e m a l e f l o w e r s swell at the base of the blos- s o m w h e r e t h e z u c c h i n i forms, with four little shoots inside making up the pistil. Female blossoms with the baby zucchini just emerging, are better suited to baking or for chopping up for a frittata or pasta sauce. Like most flowers, zuc- chini blossoms have a short life. You will need to use them within a couple of days of bringing them home as they will start to wilt and fall apart, making it impossi- ble to stuff them. Ingredients (for four peo- ple) 16 male zucchini flowers 3 0 0 g ( a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2medium) potatoes, boiled 6 0 g ( 2 o z ) g r a t e d Pecorino or Parmigiano 60 g (2 oz) diced prosciut- to or cured pancetta the slightly bitter taste of the stamens so I don't remove them, but you may wish to. If you need to wash them, d i p t h e m g e n t l y i n r o o m temperature water and let them dry naturally, or spray them with a garden spray bottle. Note that if they are not fresh or they have been refrigerated, they will fall apart. Please handle with care to avoid damaging the petals. Prepare the stuffing: Rice the boiled potatoes while still warm, add the grated cheese and prosciut- to, season with salt and pep- per and a teaspoon of olive oil. F i l l 3 / 4 o f e a c h f l o w e r with the potato mixture and place the flowers at least 1 cm (1/4 inch) apart on an oven pan lined with oiled parchment paper. Sprinkle Butter and extra-virgin olive oil to finish Prepare the blossoms: Trim the stems to about 5 cm (2 inches). Remove the green spikes (called sepals) around the buds and shake out any bugs that may be hiding inside. I don't mind with salt and place a small slice of cold butter over each flower. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C (400 F) for 15 min- utes. Serve immediately. S e r v e s 4 a s p a r t o f a n appetizer. L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled "Festa Italiana." LETIZIA MATTIACCI Zucchini flowers ready to be baked (Photo: Lauraadamache/Dreamstime) Baked zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, potato and prosciutto LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Battered and baked zucchini flowers (Photo: Shaiith/Dreamstime)

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