Zucchini Blossoms

Every so often I get the chance to cook . Yes, believe it or not, I do!!

While I was out east this past weekend, I stopped at a Farmer's Market & found one of my favorite but scarce items- zucchini flowers.

These delicate lovely flowers grow when you grow zucchini in your garden, and most people unknowingly, throw them out- but don't!! If you ever see them for sale, , anywhere, as they are perishable and have short lived season, buy them & try stuffing them & sauteeing or lightly frying them- unbelievably delicious !!

I have tried making them several ways- stuffed with crabmeat & marscapone, goat cheese with sundried tomatoes, chopped meat with ricotta, and many other variations, but since I had some sausage, mushrooms & fresh mozzarella in the house, this is how I made them.

Basically, anything you like will work well as long as it had a bit of a creamy/cheesey base to hold it all together.

6 Zucchini Blossoms

1/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano

1/4 cup diced mozzarella

2 sweet italian sausage links (or turkey or chicken sausage) cooked lightly until crumbled & drained

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

1 garlic clove- crushed

1/2 shallot- diced

4 large mushrooms- diced

flour

1 egg- beaten

seasoned breadcrumbs

olive oil or vegetable oil

Take the zucchini Flowers and dust with flour.

Dice mushrooms, shallots, garlic & parsley & saute' with crumbled sausage meat in oil until lightly sweated. Add diced mozzarella cheese & parmesan cheese. Cool and stuff into blossoms. Lightly dust with flour, dip in beaten egg, roll gently in seasoned bread crumbs and lightly fry or saute' in oil until golden brown.

Serve with a good tomato sauce as a dipping sauce. Serves 2-3

YUM YUM YUM!!!! Make a fabulous first course, appetizer, hor d', etc.