Zucchini Blossoms

This weekend was spend with cousins and relatives celebrating the life of a departed aunt.  It is amazing how times of grief and sorrow can bring families so much closer together. I am fortunate enough to have all four of my grandparents still alive and well, but I realize that won't always be a reality.  I was thinking of my Nonna (Italian for grandmother) the past few days, and I can't express what an amazing lady she is - such a soft heart, but an incredibly hard worker (seriously, the woman has more stamina than me).   No matter what time of day you visit, she will always have some sort of delicious meal ready to serve. She has taught me that the value of a home cooked family meal goes beyond feeding a hungry stomach, and that most things you should be eating can be picked straight from your backyard garden. While I realize nothing I ever make will ever taste quite as good as hers, I am still going to try and record some of her most famous recipes so I can share them with the family I may one day have. 

Deep-fried zucchini flowers (blossoms)

These were picked today, straight off the zucchini plants in my Nonna's garden. If you don't have a zucchini garden, you can get them at most grocery stores - they're best used the same day they are picked.  Look for blossoms with green, moist stems that haven't dried out, and bright orange flours that aren't wilted.

Ingredients
Peanut oil/ Canola oil for deep frying
6-8 zucchini blossoms (hand picked
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup flour
flaked sea salt and pepper

I had about 16 flowers, so the recipe is doubled.

Wash and dry flowers thoroughly. Remove the pistil (the inner part
of the flower).

Put the egg and milk in a shallow disk, add salt and pepper,
and whisk to combine.

Mix the flour with salt and pepper in another shallow dish.

Dip the zucchini in the egg wash..

..and then into the flour mixture...

...so they look something like this.

Heat oil to a frying temperature of 350F-180C. Drop in the flowers.

Remove when they're golden brown (about 10 seconds).

Drain on paper towel and serve.

Happy Monday everyone.

A.C