RICOTTA-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH PANZANELLA

Ricotta-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Panzanella image

My mom is a florist so I love flowers-especially big orange ones like zucchini blossoms! I make zucchini blossoms stuffed full of creamy ricotta cheese and then fry them until they're golden and crispy. In my opinion, zucchini blossoms are nature's perfect little packages. What's better than a crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower? A crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower on a bread salad-a gorgeous mix of perfectly ripe tomatoes, basil, cucumber, red onion, and bread, which softens when it absorbs all the veggies' wonderful juices.

Yield serves: 4

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 shots of Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 Kirby cucumber, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
6 1-inch slices stale Italian bread, crusts removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade (see page 58)
2 to 3 tablespoons big fat finishing oil
8 zucchini blossoms
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, or any other good melting cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped
Kosher salt
Peanut or other neutral-flavored oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 to 1 cup dry white wine

Steps:

Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, Tabasco, and garlic in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake to combine. Add the onion and cucumber, shake again, and let sit for at least 1 hour. (You're making pickles here, and this step can totally be done ahead of time-like yesterday!)
Put the bread in a large bowl with 1/2 to 1 cup of water to soften. Squeeze and knead the bread with your hands, then let it sit for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out any excess water from the bread, put the bread back in the bowl, and crumble it through your fingers. Toss in the tomatoes, add the pickled onion and cucumber (strain these out and reserve the liquid), and stir to combine. Add the basil and some finishing oil; taste it to make sure it's delicious. Sprinkle in a few drops of the pickling liquid or a bit more oil if needed; reserve.
Wiggle your finger into the blossom down to the base, where the flower meets the stem, and carefully break off and remove the stamen (be gentle-you don't want to rip through the blossom while doing this). Repeat with all the blossoms.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, and parsley and season with salt-taste and reseason if needed. Put the ricotta mix into a pastry bag, carefully insert the tip of the bag into the flower, and fill; then gently close your hand around the flower to secure it. Place the stuffed blossom on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining flowers.
Pour peanut oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat; the oil should come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan. While the oil heats, set up your drying situation next to the stove by putting a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet. To see if the oil is hot enough, drop a bit of flour into it. If it sizzles, you're good to go. If the oil begins to smoke, it's too hot, so reduce the heat.
Combine the flour and wine in a large bowl to make a very loose batter. Start with 3/4 cup of wine and add more if needed.
Working in batches, dip each blossom in the batter to coat it and then gently put each blossom in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let the blossoms cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn them over; the blossoms are done when they're still light in color but nice and crispy on the outside. Remove the flowers from the oil with a slotted spoon or fish spatula, put them on the paper towels, and immediately sprinkle with salt.
Divide the reserved panzanella between serving plates and top each with two crispy blossoms.