Baked zucchini flowers with a creamy ricotta filling

The flowers taste faintly of zucchini and the dish tastes light, fresh and delicate.

• Pick zucchini flowers in the morning when they are closed. I picked tiny ones since the big ones had already opened, but you can pick larger ones if that’s what your plants produce.
• Select male flowers — there are two sorts of zucchini flower: the flower with the immature vegetable attached is the female and the more eye-catching flower on the long stalk is the male.
• Rinse the zucchini flowers inside and out in cool water to remove all dirt and any bugs.
• Use the flowers right away, if possible. If you are using them later in the day, refrigerate them in a plastic bag.

Ingredients:

• 12 zucchini flowers
• 500g fresh ricotta
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tomato chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes
• Balsamic syrup (for plating)

Method:

De-stem the flowers.

Mix the ricotta with parmesan, a dash of salt, and nutmeg. Put the ricotta mixture (about 2-3 Tbsp) inside each flower and put in a greased baking tray. Sprinkle with the chopped tomato and drizzle with olive oil.

Put zucchini flowers in the oven, preheated at 180 C for 15 minutes until the flowers are slightly cooked and the cheese has melted.

Serve with chopped cherry tomatoes and a balsamic syrup. (3 stuffed flowers per serving).