The husband accompanied me to the farmer’s market this morning. Purchases included 2 cute little baby cabbages, several ears of sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, and cipollina onions. Total spent: $12.
Speaking of, we also made a stop at a new-ish place just north of the park: Cipollina. From the good folks at Milk+Honey, this is now a deli offering great cured meats, cheeses, and sandwiches. And they have the husband’s favorite freak soda, chinotto. We picked up some hot copocolla, bread, and olives…to have with the heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella that’s lounging in the fridge
But our biggest score at the market was a bunch of zucchini blossoms. I’ve been wanting to fry these babies for ages but can never find them. The cover of one of my favorite cookbooks, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, sports a gorgeous picture of them (yet upon inspection today, oddly contains but one recipe using the flowers).
Simply the flowers that form on a zucchini vine before the fruit does, zucchini blossoms are an Italian and Mexican delicacy. Usually only the male blossoms (thin stem) are picked. This allows the female (thicker stem) ones to turn into the long green vegetable that gardeners pawn off on their neighbors at the end of the summer. And today, there they were in a little bucket just waiting to come home with me. Felt like I’d won the lottery.
For an afternoon snack, I made a simple batter of beer and flour. Heated canola oil in a pan. Dipped the blossoms first in a beaten egg, then the batter, and delivered them to their deep-fried judgment. A sprinkling of kosher salt. A little sriracha (mixed with lemon juice and vinegar) on the side. A glass of rose to wash it all down. The husband agreed…these blossoms had been very very good. A faint celery stalkiness, earthy leafiness, and overall very very fresh tasting.
Good gravy, two posts in succession that contain the word “fried.” Did I mention that I’m joining my local gym tomorrow morning?