As autumn nights grow cooler, I visit my kitchen garden every morning and look, wistfully, at the courgette (zucchini) flowers, knowing that soon they will be no more. They are one of the seasonal delights of the warmer months. Plucking the last of the delicate golden buds, I am keen to celebrate them with a suitable dish.
I know that my fellow cooks in the northern hemisphere will be enjoying zucchini flowers in the not-too-distant future, so I have chosen a rather divine recipe from Luca's Seasonal Journey, a cookbook that arrived recently for my review.
What a treasure of a first book from international chef, Luca Ciano, who was born and raised in Milan, Italy, and started cooking with his mother and grandmother at the tender age of eight. He says this experience helped him to take his first few steps in the direction of becoming a chef. Offering 'Italian cooking at its best', recipes in the book are divided across the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Chef Ciano says he chose to write a cookbook around the four seasons simply because he grew up in Italy with the four seasons affecting his eating habits - each with its own special time for different foods and experiences. The recipe I'm showcasing here is among the standouts in what is a beautiful cook book, although if I am to be perfectly honest, there isn't a single dish that I would not like to try. Visit your greengrocer, pop some courgette flowers into your market basket this weekend, and enjoy them in this recipe. STUFFED COURGETTE FLOWERS WITH TALEGGIO, COURGETTE PESTO AND TOASTED ALMONDS 150 g (5 oz) Taleggio (cheese), diced (1cm/. in) 100 g (3. oz) fresh ricotta 4 anchovies in oil, drained, finely chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 12 courgette (zucchini) flowers salt and pepper 30 g (1 oz) flaked almonds, toasted COURGETTE PESTO 12 small courgette (zucchini), from flowers 10 large basil leaves 1 tablespoon pine nuts ½ garlic clove 125 ml (4 fl oz) olive oil 40 g (1. oz) Grana Padano, grated ½ lemon, juice Mix together Taleggio, ricotta, anchovies and 1 tablespoon of the oil until smooth. Season to taste. Remove the flowers from the courgette. To make the courgette pesto, chop courgette and place in a food processor with basil, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add remaining oil and process until smooth. Add grana padano and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Season to taste. Split open one side of the courgette flowers and, using fingertips, gently remove stamens. Fill flowers with ricotta mixture and gently twist ends to enclose. Place the courgette flowers into a bamboo steamer. Cover and steam over a pan of gently simmering water for 2–3 minutes, until filling is firm. To serve, place 2–3 tablespoons of courgette pesto onto each serving plate. Top with courgette flowers and scatter with toasted almonds. Serves 4. Preparation time 20 minutes. Cooking time 5 minutes.
Luca's Seasonal Journey - Italian Cooking at its best by Luca Ciano, $49.99, New Holland Publishers. This is one that you simply must add to your bookshelves, dear readers.
Thank you kindly to the publicity team at New Holland Publishers, and Luca Ciano, for giving me the opportunity to review this title. Images and recipe appear with the kind courtesy of New Holland Publishers
Tell me, do you enjoy Italian cooking? And would you like to try this delightful recipe?
35 Comments
6/4/2016 08:30:33 pm
I do like Italian cooking but I don't deep fry often.
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Lizzy
6/4/2016 10:32:07 pm
Oh, okay. But these courgette flowers are not deep fried darling.
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7/4/2016 12:04:56 am
This is a great recipe. If I've got any squash blossoms left when I clear out my garden this weekend I will try it 😀
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:57:37 pm
Oh yes, do xx
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Simone Mason
7/4/2016 12:23:21 am
Oh Liz, every post that I read just gets better and better. I am going to look for this at my book store NOW.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:57:29 pm
So pleased that you like the sound of Simone. x
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Bob Bennett
7/4/2016 04:06:25 am
Sounds like a great book.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:57:17 pm
Thanks Bob.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:57:06 pm
Thank you lovely one xx
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7/4/2016 01:03:13 pm
I love stuffed zucchini flowers! Although the last few years I've had to buy the flowers at the market -- although zucchini is easy to grow, it takes over the entire garden, it seems. And local zucchini is SO available and SO cheap. But the flowers are expensive -- maybe I should grow it just for the flowers? I think I've talked myself into it! Anyway, super recipe -- thanks.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:56:55 pm
Yes, DO John... it's such a delight... a special, special delight.
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7/4/2016 06:43:31 pm
i love the Italian cooking - its simplicity and celebration of beautiful produce. after your glowing review, I will look for this book at my local library! and I;ve never tried stuffing zuke flowers - while I would love to try a recipe like this, I often think, "that's one less zucchini though!" :-)
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:56:33 pm
Just picked the last of mine this week. xx
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:56:19 pm
It's a beauty, Amanda x
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7/4/2016 08:04:24 pm
Those flowers are like gold aren't they? So precious, so hard to come by and so delicious.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:56:04 pm
Aren't they ever, Fi xx
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Eha
7/4/2016 08:43:54 pm
Oh Liz!! This is 'bootiful ;) ! And not fried and I just love the idea of a zucchini pesto!! Love the addition of the anchovies and would 'sneak' a full garlic clove in[hmmm - one :) ?] And quite a few friends who do not subscribe to your gorgeous posts are going to find 'some suggestions' in their box in a moment!!
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Eha
7/4/2016 10:23:20 pm
Post-lunch smiles: one of the return messages : 'that would be the same as zucchini blossoms, would it not" ? My market guys would not know what it was if I said 'courgette flowers' . . . hmmm . . . the delights of geography!!
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:57:54 pm
Eha : )
Lizzy
7/4/2016 10:25:47 pm
Dearest Eha, so delighted that you love this as much as I do! Thank you for sharing it x
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:58:03 pm
And so delicate x
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8/4/2016 12:58:54 pm
Sounds like a beautiful cookbook, Liz. I am growing zucchini again this year and we always enjoy stuffing and baking the male flowers. I like this flavour idea of Luca;s and may apply it to my baking technique for these interesting blossoms. :-)
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 10:58:19 pm
Isn't it lovely, Kellie, thank you for stopping by xx
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Andrea
8/4/2016 06:35:01 pm
Looks divine!! My zucchini vine withered away, so I think I better plant another one! What would be a good substitute for taleggio Liz, bit difficult to get it in the central west. Xx
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 11:00:22 pm
Hi Andrea, sorry, only just getting around to responses here (my writing is keeping me busy, as you know... )... um, it's a semi soft cheese with a tangy flavour, so you could try fontina... perhaps even brie or havarti x
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Andrea
15/4/2016 06:56:38 pm
Thank you Liz, Brie and havarti I can get , there is a great local cheese maker in Orange and I love his cheeses ! Am looking forward to seeing your finished work, what a journey for you! Xx 8/4/2016 09:16:55 pm
What a beautiful, delicate recipe. Taleggio cheese is also one of my top ten favourites. PS: Nice to meet you Liz :)
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 11:00:39 pm
Lovely to meet you also, Jen, thanks for stopping by x
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My darling is seeding in the garden and the bedding plants are robustly growing on the lower level. I checked with him, there will be zucchinis growing in the garden this year. How delectable this dish must be. I haven't seen these flowers in the green store before. Depending on our growing season I may be able to test this out this year. :-) I simply love the idea.
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Lizzy
13/4/2016 11:01:11 pm
Oh really Zsuzsa... I hope you are able to grow some, darling friend... ez nagyon finom xxx
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27/5/2016 02:22:39 pm
So gorgeous, Liz :-) And what a beautiful and inspiring book!
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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