Attn: All Zucchini Fans

From: The Valley Gardener

Small, approx. 3" zucchini are plentiful now. They are delicious when harvested young, and sliced into salads. They can also be cut and marinated in a vinaigrette dressing with minced shallots or chives. Look for them on a daily basis so they then won't qualify for the zucchini car contest at the Farmer's market. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and do not wash until ready to use. Zucchini blossoms are excellent stuffed, dipped in a batter, and fried; or simply battered and browned in oil. When harvesting, select male blossoms with long, slender stems. Female blossoms may also be used if you are picking 3"-4" zucchini and the blossoms are open and firm. Harvest blossoms early in the morning and wrap loosely in very lightly dampened paper towels. Store in refrigerator until ready to prepare.

Paul's Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Ingredients:

• 12 - 16 zucchini blossoms (pumpkin and patty pan blossoms may also be used)
• 6 oz. Goat cheese, preferably Pug's Leap Petit Marcel
• 1 tsp. each finely chopped chives, thyme and parsley
• Salt and pepper
• One egg beaten with a tsp. of milk
• Fine dried bread crumbs, preferably homemade
• Oil for frying (olive oil or butter or a combination)

Toss chopped herbs in with goat cheese and mix together with pinch of san and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Prepare blossoms by first removing stem and then carefully pinching out hard center above stem inside the blossom. Then fill blossom with about 1 tsP. goat cheese mix. Whip egg and a tsp. milk and set aside. Put bread crumbs in shallow bowl.

Heat oil in frying pan. Dip each blossom in just enough egg mixture to coat and then dip lightly in bread crumbs. Immediately place blossoms in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and repeat on other side. Serve immediately.

There is still time to plant zucchini seeds. It takes about 60 days from planting to harvest.

Barbara Micallef, the author of this article, combines a love of color, flowers, and produce for the kitchen in her Dry Creek garden.  A watercolor painter who enrolled in the U.C. Davis Master Gardener program in 2004, she now feels she “paints with flowers” in her garden.  She encourages flowers that reseed and can be transplanted for color and texture.

She finds she can grow lettuce all year round, using shade cloths in the summer.  She always looks forward to her tomatoes which, she says, would almost make gardening worthwhile if they were the only crop, but then, you can’t leave out herbs, garlic, and a few zucchini plants mainly for the blossoms.