This is a variation on a dish I have tasted a hundred times in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, in Campania outside Napoli. There they generally make it with the local ricotta made from water buffalo milk, the same milk that goes into their exquisite mozzarella. I have substituted local goat's milk cheese from New York State, but you could use any soft, creamy, delicate cheese.
Ingredients
- 12 zucchini flowers
- 1 cup fresh goat cheese curd, preferably from Coach Farm, or soft goat cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound golden or yellow tomatoes or golden cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Preparations
- 1. Gently open the zucchini flowers and remove the stamens (and any bugs).
- 2. In a small bowl, stir together the goat cheese, egg, scallions, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a small spoon, stuff each blossom with about 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling. Set aside.
- 3. Combine the tomatoes, ½ cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, basil leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer set over a bowl and set aside.
- 4. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- 5. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 flowers into the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining 2 batches.
- 6. Arrange 3 blossoms on each plate. Drizzle with the tomato dressing and sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
© 2005 Mario Batali from Molto Italiano
Photograph © Beatriz Da Costa
