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FOUR CHEESE–STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

YEMISTI KOLOKYNTHOANTHI ME TESSERA TYRIA

MAKES 12 STUFFED BLOSSOMS

This dish is a creative variation on something my mom loved to make in the summertime. Her gemista were vegetables stuffed with a rice-and-ground-meat mixture. But in the summer, zucchini blossoms are a rare treat. So instead of making my mom’s traditional, heartier stuffing, I make a lighter stuffing and use it to fill these beautiful blossoms. Then I fry them in a light and crisp tempura batter.

These are wonderful canapés because they are one or two-bite finger foods. They should be served within a minute or two after coming out of the oil, otherwise, they will get a little soggy. This dish has a very limited window of seasonality. With special things like this, it’s worth giving them a little extra care. Please be sure to check out “My Deep-frying Rules” on page 23.

FOR THE TEMPURA BATTER

1¾ cups soda water, or as needed

1 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons cornstarch

3 teaspoons salt

FOR THE ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

12 zucchini blossoms, preferably with a length of stem still attached

cup very fresh whole-milk ricotta, drained

¼ cup finely grated kefalotiri cheese

¼ cup finely grated mizithra cheese

¼ cup crumbled manouri cheese

1 tablespoon small, picked sprigs dill, chopped

8 leaves fresh mint, chopped

Canola or safflower oil, for deep-frying (for even better flavor, use half extra-virgin olive oil)

Lemon wedges, for serving

For the tempura batter, pour the soda water into a bowl. In a sifter, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt, and sift it into the soda water. Whisk until evenly blended. The batter should have the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add a little more soda water if necessary to thin it. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

For the zucchini blossoms, gently pull open the tops of the zucchini blossoms and pull out the dark orange pistils. Combine the four cheeses and the chopped herbs and season well; mix until smooth.

Use 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the filling to stuff each flower, pushing it as far down toward the base as you can.

Prepare a pot of oil or a deep fryer for deep-frying; heat the oil to 350°F. Gently twist the tops of the blossoms a bit, to hold in the filling. Dip and roll a blossom in the batter, making sure to coat it well. Using tongs, and using the stem as a handle, submerge it in the hot oil and hold for about 10 seconds before you let go (this seizes the batter and stops it from sticking). Proceed with dipping and frying the blossoms; as soon as one is golden brown, remove with a skimmer and drain briefly. Line a platter with a flattened brown-paper grocery bag, throw on some lemon wedges, and pass the blossoms as they are finished. This way, guests can squeeze a little lemon over each one right before they eat it. If you squeeze too early, the blossoms won’t stay crisp. The filling will be very hot, so warn people before their first bite.

Optional: Sweat a handful of spinach leaves and some sliced scallions in a little olive oil until very tender. Cool and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Chop and add to the cheese filling, with one egg yolk to hold it all together. (Note: If you have a bounty of squash blossoms, chop some up and add them to the spinach-scallion mixture before adding to cheese.)

BULGUR SALAD WITH ROASTED PEPPERS, CAPERS, RAISINS, CELERY & ONION

SALATA ME PLIGOURI, PSITI PIPERIA, KAPARI, STAFIDES, SELINO KAI KREMMYDI

SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE DISH, OR MORE FAMILY-STYLE, AS PART OF A LARGER SPREAD

Here, sweet and savory flavors combine with the bulgur, which gives a great chewy texture and nutty flavor. Traditionally, you might see this kind of mixture stuffed into a pepper, but I’ve made more of a simple salad and added the peppers in strips.

This dish is fantastic served with a loin of lamb, cooked medium-rare, and sliced tomatoes. It is also great with grilled giant shrimp or scallops. For another dimension of bright flavor, you can also fold in a tablespoon of strained