Fried Zucchini Flowers
 

Have you had this treat? It is wonderful. Where have you had them in Rome? We will be going in a couple of weeks and do not want to miss this treat if possible. Thanks!

Living in Arizona, I am very familiar with fried zucchini blossoms, but did not look for them in Italy. Hope somebody has a reply for you. Yummy.

I make them at home and every year in Provence we have them stuffed with goat cheese or mushrooms.

Many restaurants in Rome offer them as an antipasti.

Another treat are carciofi alla giudia--double fried (but not battered) artichokes--literally "Jewish" style since the cooking method comes from Roman Jewish cuisine.

Da Gigetto's makes wonderful ones.

It's easy to get them here in California. I don't remember having them in Europe, but have had them here for as long as I can remember. Happy Travels!

They are delicious and incredibly easy to make. I make my own with my own blossoms. Though I have had them in Italy I do not recall having them in Rome. Good luck - hope you are able to find some! :)

So post your recipies for the ones that make them!
Yum- yum:) I love them but have never made them.

We had them several places but we did have them in Rome for sure. I'll try to find the name of the restaurant for you. All I remember is that it was one of those restaurants that looks like a glassed-in room on the sidewalk.

I have never seen squash flowers on a menu but I must confess every attempt to grow zuchini at home results in a small crop because I can't resist plucking the flowers for a yummy brunch! I simply batter lightly and fry -- any favorite batter works, although to get the best results keep it light in both weight and flavor. They cook up quickly and are very tender. Nutmeg is a favorite seasoning.

Just as you're walking into P.del Popolo (next to the twin churches) there's a take out only cafe that served the fried zucchini flowers. We at some with pizza on the steps of the church.

I just usually fill with chevre and fresh herbs. Dip in a tempura batter and fry. Or you can make fillings with ricotta and other cheeses as long as the tips of the blossom are closed to prevent any leaking.

No one seems to have mentioned that in Rome fried zucchini flowers are most often stuffed with cheese (mozzarella generally) and a piece of anchovy.

Here in Dallas I never see them in the stores to buy. I would think Whole Foods would have them whenever they're in season.

As a child of Parents born in Italy, they were always in our local Italian markets in season but not many places still carry them except one local farmers'market. One year I was desperate and I plucked a half dozen from the Audubon garden.

A week ago I had fried zucchini blossoms 2 places in Rome. One was <b>Il Convivio</b>. Those were lightly battered and fried, sort of like a tempura batter and stuffed with some kind of meat. Also on the plate were 2 pieces of buffalo mozzerell and a small scoop of red pepper sortet. Anchovy sauce was drizzled over the plate. I could have eaten a dozen of these. By far the best overall.

The other time I had it at <b>Hotel Eden</b>. It was much more expensive and much less interesting. They were baked not fried, and stuffed with 2 cheeses of undiscernable origin. A few cherry tomatoes and olives were scattered on the plate.

Both were listed as starters.

I've seen them on just about any restaurant menu in Rome. And I've had wonderful ones at my favorite Italian restaurant in London.

We had this delicacy at Armando al Pantheon. If possible, go on a Thursday night for the house special veal shank.

The whole meal was so good we wanted to return the next night...then they told us these favorites were only served on Thursdays. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering!

PS: That veal shank dish is called &quot;coda&quot;. Or it may be coda [something]. It's magnificent.

It's called coda alla vaccinara, and it's not made from the shank but from the tail.

Coda is oxtail, not veal.

We've had variations of zucchini flowers stuffed and/or fried in a variety of restaurants in Tuscany (La Leggenda Dei Frati, Arnolfo). We haven't seen them on the menu in Rome quite so often, but it may be a seasonal issue. You probably won't find them much before mid-May or June because the squash won't have had time to set flowers. They are hard to come by in the U.S., at least here in North Carolina. When I ask vegetable sellers at our local farmers' market if they ever sell squash flowers, they look at me as if I'm a bit addled. &quot;Why would you do that; you'll get less squash?&quot; In addition to the Southwest, you probably can find squash blossoms in midsummer in areas with large Italian-American populations. They were available in Rhode Island where I grew up, and when my mother visited me in North Carolina, she convinced me to grow my own squash plants just for the blossoms. Zucchini does well, but buttercup squash may be even better (bigger and sturdier flowers). So if you can't get any in Rome, try your hand at growing your own.

Of course. Veal shank is the osso bucco, right?

I knew it didn't sound right when I typed it. :-]

Veal shank is osso buco.

I was also thinking it depends on the season for the zucchini flowers, fiore di zucca. Where I live in the US they are VERY expensive in farmer's markets!

The recipe from Banfi, below, does not use any cheese:

http://www.castellobanfi.com/features/appetiz.php

And here is a classic Roman recipe, with cheese and anchovy:


http://www.flavorsofrome.com/recipes.php




I've had them, too, inside quesadillas, in Mexico..

http://www.recipezaar.com/138704

Cigalechanta, can you tell me where you had them in Provence? Stuffed with goat cheese or mushrooms sounds wonderful!

So many places, I can't remember. The last time I had them was in Bonnieux. They are on many menus in season..

What are &quot;fried zucchini blossoms&quot; in French - how do they appear on a menu? We'll be in Provence in the Fall and I definitely want to try them...I don't remember seeing them on any of the menus on our trip last year...maybe I didn't know what to look for!

they are fleurs de courgettes, often poached, stuffed with meats, fish, cheese, anything goes.

P.S. Carolitis, Fall will to be too late, they are the flowers that come before the zuccini/squash develop fully

&quot;but I must confess every attempt to grow zuchini at home results in a small crop because I can't resist plucking the flowers for a yummy brunch!&quot;

The trick is to pluck the male flowers and let the female flowers grow and produce zucchini.
They are easy to differentiate.

My Italian step-father would make these for us when we were kids... but the very best I've had anywhere were in Rome--how do they do it? So light and delicate... enjoy!

I think most if not all of the restaurants in the old Jewish ghetto section of the city will serve them and also fried artichokes mentioned by ellenm. My son who does not usually like artichokes loved these

Of course you are right...fall too late for the blossoms...thanks for the info as I will use it next time around.