I planted four zucchini plants this summer, and I have to be honest…I didn’t plant them for the zucchini. I want the blossoms. I want all of them. Because whether stuffed and fried or made into fritters they so are amazingly delicious. My father in law introduced me to zucchini blossom fritters years ago and this time each summer I could eat them from dawn til dusk. After trying my hand at fried zucchini blossom flowers last week, I went to his house where he stocked me up with more. And as luck would have it, he offered to whip up a batch of zucchini blossom fritters batter right before my eyes so I could see exactly how this is done.

Now let me tell you, when I put together a blog post I like to use my nice fancy camera. And yet here I was in this wonderful moment with just my cell on hand. So I started snapping away at what turned out to be a very sweet moment where my father in law, who was born and raised in Calabria, Italy, showed me exactly how this old world recipe has been done for pretty much ever.

Things got exciting. Our first stop was the garden where he has been growing vegetables and plenty of flower pots of basil for years. He had zucchini flowers for days that made me jealous and wondering why my garden called it quits after just a few. He took out his little basket and started picking. Only pick the open ones, he told me. Those are the best.

Aren’t they lovely?

Once inside the blossoms got a great rinse. We also twisted the bottoms of the blossom off which removed the stem as well as the inner part of the flower where dirt and even critters can get into. You really want to be sure the flowers are cleaned out well AND have not been treated with any chemicals. None of that garbage, he said. All natural.

Next it was time to get the small food processor out. It really does make the job easier. To the food processor we added:

1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup of self rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10-12 fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Just look at that smile. Gosh he worked fast. In it all went and it was blended for a few seconds until smooth.

While the mixture sat in a bowl, he tore up the zucchini blossoms (about 10 of them) and also added a medium sized zucchini. He sliced it paper thin, leaving the skin on. The mixture was now given a final stir. Let it sit and marinate for a bit, he instructed.

Want another fantastic recipe? Try these easy Pancetta Pork Chops.

So now I am ridiculously excited. I get back home and I am ready to give this recipe a try. I gathered up my ingredients just like he did and added about 1/2 an inch of oil to a pan and let it heat. Then, I simply dropped spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan.

Love Italian cooking? When I am not getting tips from the FIL I do love Lidia Bastianich for some excellent recipes and cooking tips. You can find her book here.

These zucchini blossom fritters cook quick. They only need about 2 minutes on each side and are done. Place them on a paper towel to absorb the extra grease, then sprinkle with fresh cheese and basil to finish. Seriously, how gorgeous are these? I am not lying when I say I could eat 20 of them in one sitting. They are that good. They make an excellent appetizer or you can make a meal out of them like The Mr. did that evening.

Try them. Like now. Then, give these simple Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms a try too.

Want some more tasty recipes to try? Take a look at what else we have been working on:

Vintage Style Rice Pudding
Crunchy Pea and Bacon Salad
White Chicken Chili

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