Delicious, fragrant Greek stuffed zucchini blossoms are one of my absolute favorite summer foods that holds a dear place in my heart.
As a child, I spend my summers in Chania. I loved watching my grandma make these amazing stuffed blossoms with ease & great skill. The blossoms would be harvested from my uncle’s vegetable garden in the morning. She would filled them with a mix of lots of herbs, rice and juicy grated tomatoes. Then they would simmer in low heat for an hour or so and would be served as a delicious summer lunch for the whole family to enjoy. The taste was light and very fresh.
It’s a fairly easy recipe to make and as long as you find fresh blossoms in your local farm stand, success is guaranteed. I also find that it is a meditative experience to wash and dry the blossoms, then fill each one with the light as air rice mixture.
How to prepare the blossoms
- Place the blossoms on a kitchen towel.
- Filled a large bowl with water and place it next to the blossoms. Gently open the blossom and cut the little stem inside, using kitchen shears or a sharp pair of scissors. Cut the outside stem also.
- Emerge each blossom into the water give it a small swirl for a sec and take it out. Shake it very gently and place it on the kitchen towel to dry.
How to stuff the blossoms
- Gently open the blossom and, using a small spoon, place some of the mixture inside. Close each blossom petal in a criss cross pattern if you can. Wrap the last one carefully under the blossom placing it on a large pot.
- Repeat filling the rest of the blossoms, placing each in a circular motion inside the pot. Make sure they snuggly fit with each other. Add 2 cups of water. Place a plate upside down on the blossoms, to lock their position.
How to enjoy the Greek stuffed zucchini blossoms
Greek stuffed zucchini blossoms are best enjoyed with a fresh, yogurt sauce. Just cut up some herbs, mix them with Greek yogurt, add a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil and voila, the yogurt sauce. Or you can make tzatziki, the awesome garlicky dip that Greeks swear by.
Ingredients
- about 40 zucchini blossoms
- for the filling
- 1 full cup + 1/4 grated zucchini
- 1 cup potato grated
- 2 cups onions finely diced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 28 oz San Marzanno tomatoes like Gustarosso or 3 cups grated tomatoes skin and seeds removed
- 1 cup fresh mint chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the blossoms
- Place the blossoms on a kitchen towel.
- Filled a large bowl with water and place it next to the blossoms. Gently open the blossom and cut the little stem inside, using kitchen shears or a sharp pair of scissors. Cut the outside stem also.
- Emerge each blossom into the water give it a small swirl for a sec and take it out. Shake it very gently and place it on the kitchen towel to dry.
- Make the filling Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl. (If you are using the San Marzanno tomatoes, place them in a bowl first and squish them to get all the juices out and turn them into much smaller pieces) Fill the blossoms
- Gently open the blossom and, using a small spoon, place some of the mixture inside. Close each blossom petal in a criss cross pattern if you can. Wrap the last one carefully under the blossom placing it on a large pot.
- Repeat filling the rest of the blossoms, placing each in a circular motion inside the pot. Make sure they snuggly fit with each other. Add 2 cups of water. Place a plate upside down on the blossoms, to lock their position.
- Cook the blossoms
- Simmer in low heat for 1 hour. Gently lift the plate (careful, it’s hot!) to check if they are fully cooked.
- Serve with your favorite yogurt sauce.
Notes
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