Fiori di Zucca

One of the things I love most about this time of the year is the appearance of fiori di zucca (pumpkin flowers) in the markets.  I remember my mother cooking these when I was a kid!  Upon moving here to Venice I was thrilled to find pumpkin flowers readily available. I love them.  My mom used to make them by frying them up in a little olive oil.  Mike and I do them a little bit differently. We stuff them with goat cheese mixed with chopped green onions or sun-dried tomatoes, then fry them up. 

 These are really easy to make. Buy a bunch of pumpkin or zucchini flowers. Either kind will work. Gently pull out the inside parts of the flowers,rinse them out carefully, and pat dry with a paper towel.  If you are going to stuff them, mix up some goat cheese, chopped green onion or sun-dried tomatoes, an egg, a bit of ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Stuff each flower with a large spoon full of the cheese mixture.  Roll each stuffed flower in egg (beaten), then lightly in flour. Fry in hot olive oil for a minute or two per side. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel before serving.

 This is a delightful appetizer.  Easy to make, simply delicious to eat.  Buon appetito!