Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipes

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & ZUCCHINI SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini and peppers. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, sugar and salt until blended. Stir in herbs., Just before serving, drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 15x10x2-inch oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. Heat 5 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and thyme and stir until breadcrumbs are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in tomatoes, cheese, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Fill zucchini blossoms with breadcrumb mixture, using about 2 teaspoons for small blossoms and 1 tablespoon for large blossoms (be careful not to tear blossoms). Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over baking dish. Place zucchini atop breadcrumbs in dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Bake until zucchini are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Prepare the zucchini blossoms for stuffing by gently opening the leaves and pinching out the stamen inside each flower. Set the blossoms aside.
• For the filling, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a sandwich-size resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner from one point at the bottom.
• Open the leaves of a blossom and pipe in about 1 tablespoon of filling (don't overfill). Gently twist the top of the blossom to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining zucchini blossoms and filling.
• Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat to 360 degrees F. (If you don't have an oil thermometer, you'll know the oil is ready if you drop in a scrap of bread and it sizzles on contact and begins to brown after a few seconds.) Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• For the batter, whisk the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the seltzer to make a smooth batter.
• When the oil is ready, dip the zucchini flowers in the batter one at a time, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl. Add as many as will fit in the skillet without crowding. Fry, turning once, until the batter is light, crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to the lined baking sheet to drain and repeat with the remaining blossoms.
• Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Soak the sun dried tomatoes in a small cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Remove from the water and roughly chop.
• Place tomatoes and lemon juice a bit at a time in a food processor with the goat cheese, pulsing until well blended and the flavor is satisfactory to you.
• Combine the flour with a few good shakes of salt and pepper and blend well.
• Pour out some of the flour mixture onto a clean dry plate.
• Gently rinse and dry the zucchini blossoms, removing the stamens and pistils carefully (You may find that using tweezers helps, otherwise just be patient).
• Spread petals slightly and spoon a small amount of filling mixture into each blossom, or squeeze from a plastic bag with a corner snipped off if it is easier for you to fill it that way.
• Leave enough room at the top of each blossom to twist it closed.
• Once blossoms are filled and sealed, dip each flower into beaten egg and roll gently in the flour mixture until lightly coated (If you find you've made too much filling, just save it to toss with pasta or spread on bread or crackers).
• Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan to heat (medium high).
• When the oil is hot enough, carefully place blossoms in the oil a few at a time with a slotted spoon, turning until each is golden and just lightly crispy.
• Drain on paper towels and serve. Enjoy!

LIGHTER STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Chop 2 zucchini blossoms finely. Transfer to a bowl.
• Stir tofu, feta cheese, olives, garlic, thyme, oregano, and seasoned salt into the bowl. Pour filling into a food processor; pulse until very crumbly. Increase speed blend until smooth and golden, about 3 minutes.
• Pipe filling into remaining 6 blossoms using a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Twist blossom ends carefully to seal in filling. Arrange on a plate; transfer to the freezer.
• Mix whole wheat flour and egg substitute together in a bowl until batter is the consistency of pudding.
• Spread bread crumbs in a shallow dish.
• Dip a stuffed blossom in batter and roll in bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining blossoms.
• Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook blossoms until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.