#courgetteflower

Courgette flower 'pizza'

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl whisk together 450ml lukewarm water, 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, 1 tsp salt, the zest of a lemon.

Then whisk in 130m white flour* and 80ml chickpea flour*.

Fold in 12 courgette flowers and 6 baby courgettes sliced thinly, and 1 medium red onion sliced into thin rounds.

Pour the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a non-stick silicone sheet or oiled baking parchment, taking care to evenly distribute the courgette flowers. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp chopped fresh zaatar or thyme. Season with black pepper. Finally, drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Reduce the oven to 180c and bake on the middle rack for around 50-55 minutes.

Mmmmm mmmm.. Courgette flowers! Pretty little things but super scrumptious as well. When I was younger my mum used to pick them from her garden and we’d simply cook them into an egg scramble with a little chopped tomato. Simple but delicious. 

Walking home last week I picked up some courgette flowers and eggs at a local farmers market. I’d forgotten what a delicious dish this was. Such fresh young ingredients you don't need to mess around with too much to get a great tasting meal. The freshness and seasonal quality of the produce really shines through here. I really like these little courgettes only just cooked so they’re still nice and crunchy and full of flavour

You’ll see courgette flowers still attached to their courgette through the summer in farmers markets. If you see them, snap them up as they're a real summer treat, better still, grown them yourself! I would cook them as soon as possible after buying or picking because they won’t keep for long. 

Courgette and squash flowers also great for stuffing, you can see my recipe from last year for stuffed flowers here :

Photos: http://bit.ly/1uJG8lF

Recipe: bit.ly/1pui6aD

  Courgette Flower Scramble

  4 Baby courgettes with their flowers attached

1 plum tomato

3 eggs

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

a few sprigs of fresh oregano

a few sprigs fresh mint

salt and pepper

chili flakes (or fresh chili, sliced and added with the garlic)

  Cut the courgette from the flower and cut the stem into ½ inch chunks.

  Then to prepare the tomato, using a sharp knife lightly cross the top of the tomato, plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds. Take out and the skin should slip off easily. Quarter the tomato and scoop out the seeds the cut the flesh into small chunks.

Prep your garlic, pick your herbs and roughly chop. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly with some salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy based (non stick preferably) fry pan on medium heat. Add a heaped teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee, add your courgette, courgette flowers, garlic, and tomato and cook for a couple of minutes, pour in your eggs and gently fold the mixture together, into a rough until the eggs are just cooked.

  After a week in Italy I’ve come back with a delicious recipe for you and a supperclub menu to blow you away!! Plus a lot of delicious Italian cheeses to finish the menu..mmm..

So, to my recipe…Courgette flowers are delicious, and easy to grow (if you’re into growing your own veg). But not always easy to find in London and less easy to find at an reasonable price. But! In Italy they are plentiful, so there was no choice but for them to be the recipe for this blog post. You don’t need to buy 18 flowers, but a few for yourself and loved ones and enjoy the treat.

You often see stuffed flowers in restaurants here lightly battered and deep fried, which to me is a waste of their delicateness. So this recipe, although a little rustic is utterly delicious and worth making, the ingredients (I think), being used to their best.  Please though, don’t buy those under ripe tasteless tomatoes and use good quality tinned tomatoes, it will all make a a better sauce, this is a treat so make it as good as it can be. 

The anchovies are optional, they add a depth of flavour, not too strong but aren't essential if you’d like to make this veggie but I love anchovies so it worked well for my tastes.

The other photos in this post are an octopus salad I made with potatoes, honey grilled radicchio, fresh artichoke and toasted marcona almonds. The recipe I will be up soon!

  Stuffed Lemon Ricotta Courgette Flowers with a Tomato, Basil Sauce

  Serves 6 as a starter

  18 courgette flowers

  Stuffing:

200g ricotta

70g grated parmesan

zest 1 lemon, juice 1/2 

1 garlic crushed

1/2tsp chilli flakes (optional)

handful basil, roughly chopped

handful chives, finely chopped

     Tomato Sauce:

 2 tbsp olive oil

1 red spring onion, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

2 anchovy fillets, finely sliced (optional)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 large fresh tomato, deseeded and diced

400g tinned tomato

1- 1½ small young courgette, finely diced

handful torn basil, plus extra whole for garnish

S&P

  Mix together stuffing ingredients and taste for seasoning.

Unravel the flowers carefully and stuff the filling into the flowers, twist the tops back and set aside.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan, add the spring onions and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to soften, add the garlic and anchovies, mixing through cook for another two minutes. Add the tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and tinned tomatoes. Cook  the sauce down for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.

While the sauce is cooking finish the courgette flowers. Using a wide based pan heat the olive oil and add the flowers, being careful not to break them. Cook until lightly browned on all sides.

Check the seasoning of the sauce, adding salt and pepper to your taste. Add the torn basil and place on your serving plate, gently placing the courgette flowers on top.