If you find yourself drawn to the beauty of these delicate, colorful zucchini squash blossoms while cruising the farmers market, this recipe is for you. Perhaps you love to liven your plate with colorful seasonal gems or you or a neighbor are growing zucchini & they are popping all at once; Squash blossoms arrive in your weekly farm veggie delivery box? Consider this very pretty, delightful preparation as a first course or added to your plate of greens. There are many ways to cook squash blossoms - braising, steaming, frying or in this recipe, brushed with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil & baked for a short time, crisping the outside & warming the inside to a creamy, rich, delicious treat. In this nutrient dense + plant based recipe, we pair the savory stuffed squash blossom with a crisp, fresh organic little gems salad from the local farm tossed in a light macerated shallot vinaigrette finished with mint & sliced almonds.

Vegan | GF

Serves 6 {2 blossoms per. stuffing recipe makes enough to fill 12 blossoms. If making fewer blossoms, the filling is a delicious spread or added to a chard wrap etc.}

INGREDIENTS

12 medium organic zucchini blossoms

3 medium to small organic zucchini (omit if blossom has squash attached & use those)

2-3 organic shallots

1 C organic cashews

1 organic lemon

a few sprigs of fresh mint

part of a bunch of chives

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

high quality mineral sea salt such as Maldon or himalayan pink.

fresh cracked black pepper

4-6 small organic little gem heads

high quality organic champagne vinegar

sliced almonds or seeds optional garnish

METHOD

Boil water in a kettle or pot and while the water is heating, add the cashews to a heat proof bowl. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let sit to soften up - at least 20 minutes. While cashews are soaking, move on to mincing the shallots to equal about 5 T. Place 2 T in a small bowl with 3 T champagne vinegar and a pinch of salt and set aside to macerate. Mince 1 small clove of garlic and set aside with remaining 3 T minced shallot.

Wash and dry the zucchini, cut off the ends and compost. Cut lengthwise, then into matchsticks, then into small cubes. Heat a cast iron skillet, then slick with a small amount of EVOO. Add minced shallot and garlic and let cook briefly until tender but not brown ~about 3 minutes, then add the squash a small pinch of sea salt & twist of pepper. Sautee, moving stirring around as needed as not to brown, but to cook through until tender but firm.  Remove from heat.

Drain cashews completely of the soaking water and add to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add 1 T juice of a fresh squeezed lemon ~1T + zest of half a lemon (about 1 t) + pinch of salt. 

Blitz until dense ricotta cheese-like consistency. Next, Wash, dry and finely chop the chives then gently work into the cashew mixture.

To a medium mixing bowl, add warm zucchini mixture and gently mix in cashew lemon chive mixture until fully incorporated.

Wash gems + mint, then dry well. Stack a few mint leaves on top of one another and roll, then with a sharp knife, cut into thin ribbons. Add lettuces and mint to a large bowl. Leave in fridge to crisp up while preparing blossoms.

Using kitchen shears as needed, gently cut up the side of the blossom. Remove stamen as needed. Stuff each blossom with about 1 1/2 T mixture, then gently close the petals.

Add the blossoms to a baking tray and arrange so they are evenly spaced, then with a pastry brush, gently brush each blossom with EVOO.

Add to the oven and bake, checking at the 12 minute mark. These should be golden and may need a few more minutes, but not more. Remove when golden and crisp and serve.

While squash are baking, whisk a slow stream of 5 T evoo into the macerated shallots and toss into the greens. Arrange greens on serving plates with baked squash blossom and sprinkle with a few mint leaves and some sliced almonds. Enjoy!