Despite the horrible weather in Italy this spring, delicious new things to eat are appearing. At Patrizia’s fruit and vegetable shop in La Villa this morning I spotted these.
Zucchini flowers…and
…pumpkin flowers. Doesn’t it make you want to buy some, take them home and cook something heavenly?
Those are our idea of heaven! My grandmother use to batter fry them and now my daughter grows zucchini mainly to have the flowers. They are such a wonderful treat.
By: dianepk on May 20, 2013
at 12:05 pm
I haven’t tried frying them, but I have stuffed them and they were delicious.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:29 pm
Indeed!
By: maru clavier on May 20, 2013
at 12:06 pm
They looked so fresh and lovely in the shop.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:29 pm
My favourite . Yum.
By: juditroncoso on May 20, 2013
at 12:10 pm
I remember eating them with you in Lucca.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:30 pm
My! Those are stunning! Are you having any?
By: Anonymous on May 20, 2013
at 12:44 pm
Of course, I can’t resist them.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:30 pm
Growing up in Australia during the 50s, I don’t recall cooking zucchini flowers or pumpkin flowers, and would have considered that an oddity. Nowadays, we are exposed to the beauty of cooking in different cultures; so, I find experimenting in different food tastes a fascinating experience. I know about cooking zucchini flowers but not pumpkin flowers. Does one cook pumpkin flowers the same way as zucchini flowers or is there a different recipe for those?
By: Sandra Hoopmann on May 20, 2013
at 12:45 pm
You would treat them the same way. Pumpkin flowers are just a little bit bigger than zucchini flowers.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:31 pm
They’re beautiful! Are you having any?
By: The Daily Cure on May 20, 2013
at 12:46 pm
Yes! I love them.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:32 pm
I loved eating fried zucchini flowers as a kid. Guess this means I need to find a source!
By: aFrankAngle on May 20, 2013
at 12:59 pm
Perhaps you could plant some in your backyard.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:32 pm
Well … we have animal issues with gardens.
By: aFrankAngle on May 21, 2013
at 12:57 am
I just LOVE fiori di zucca and think I might buy some for tonight! Seeing I still haven’t sorted my vegetable garden…
By: Catherine on May 20, 2013
at 1:02 pm
I want to plant some in Vergemoli…when we get our garden.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:33 pm
Been here nine years and haven’t had the nerve to try cooking them yet! only in ristoranti so far….
By: June Finnigan on May 20, 2013
at 1:41 pm
They are not all that difficult…try it!
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:33 pm
Gorgeous shots too!! c
By: cecilia on May 20, 2013
at 1:48 pm
I thought they were too beautiful…I had to take a photo.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:34 pm
too pretty to cook!!
By: cecilia on May 20, 2013
at 4:37 pm
Just yesterday we realized that we already have gorgeous squash blossoms out back. We just put the zucchini plants 3 weeks ago. I am ready to stuff them up!
By: paninigirl on May 20, 2013
at 1:55 pm
How lovely! Can I come to lunch?
By: Debra Kolkka on May 20, 2013
at 3:35 pm
I have always loved flowers, particularly in salads. Most flowers are edible. I love nasturtiums, both the leaves – which have a peppery flavour – and the flowers, which add beautiful colours to any salad. They are also very easy to grow. And I do love candied violets. A real treat! The Migone shop in Florence sells them.
By: mulino dominillo on May 20, 2013
at 5:08 pm
I will look out for those violets next time I am in Florence.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 4:53 am
What is your favourite way to eat them? I remember my father announcing they were edible when he grew them one year when I was a child, very exotic in 1970s England and he proceded to stuff them and fry them and they were delicious. I remember them vividly and their fresh delicate texture, lovely flowers !
By: Joanna on May 20, 2013
at 6:20 pm
I love them stuffed with ricotta and quickly fried in a light batter. I am not very good at doing this, so I look for it in restaurants around this time each year.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 4:56 am
I always feel pumpkin is such an underrated vegetable. I love it and now love it more when I see the flowers. My favourite colour. Is it Giallo. ?
By: Dianne Cant on May 20, 2013
at 8:10 pm
It is indeed giallo…and a very beautiful yellow.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 4:57 am
The cascio (acacia) tree flowers are also great to eat – raw
By: Francis on May 21, 2013
at 4:55 am
The smell divine, like honey. They make me sneeze, but I love them.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 5:01 am
We just ducked over the border to Italy (Ventimiglia) and went straight to the market. (Pouring with rain and it was under cover.) The zucchini flowers were the first thing that caught my eye.
By: Richard Tulloch on May 21, 2013
at 6:59 am
They have just started appearing in the shops. They look so gorgeous and they taste good too.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 10:44 am
Debra,
This is a new idea to me. How would one go about cooking them?
By: Rob Mc Artor on May 21, 2013
at 8:34 am
They are usually stuffed with ricotta and quickly fried in a light batter.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2013
at 10:45 am
I tried the fritters for the first time in Santorini and became an instant fan 🙂
By: Madhu on May 21, 2013
at 11:04 am
Omg, I love edible flowers. I’m really into borage at the moment 🙂
By: lazylauramaisey on May 21, 2013
at 2:48 pm
I love stuffed flowers and yes, I wouldn’t be able to resist buying some to cook with. I’m posting about edible flowers in the morning…it seems we are on the same wave length but still different. 🙂
By: Karen on May 22, 2013
at 1:37 am
They look so gorgeous right now, we have to make the most of them.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 22, 2013
at 1:04 pm
I love deep fried zucchini flowers! I once bought some accidentally and sauteed them and they weren’t quite as good. I’ve also had them on pizza in Italy and that was really nice! 🙂
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on May 22, 2013
at 11:56 am
I think deep fried is best, but I have also stuffed them, brushed them with olive oil and baked them and that was good too.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 22, 2013
at 1:02 pm
Yum, I love squash and zucchini flowers. Fried, stuffed or in a risotto. Buon appetito!
By: Tuscan olive grove girl on May 31, 2013
at 9:34 am
They are delicious whatever you do to them.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 31, 2013
at 7:43 pm