Baked Ricotta Courgette Flowers
Courgette flowers mark high summer. They are best eaten fresh (before they start to wilt) and are high in vitamin C, as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, and calcium. They are often deep-fried, but I've decided to fill them with Italian ricotta and bake them. This recipe is ready in 30 minutes and is great for a quick summer lunch.
Ingredients
- 60g courgette flowers (about 8)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons parmesan
- freshly shaved nutmeg
- handful mint leaves, finely chopped
- handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 100g Italian ricotta
- 1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius (fan force) and grease a baking tray with olive oil.
- Step 2 Clean the courgette flowers by gently removing the inner stamen, washing and drying the flowers.
- Step 3 Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to make the filling.
- Step 4 Fill each flower with a rounded tablespoon of filling, gently twisting them to close them.
- Step 5 Place on the baking tray and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and another glug of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly crisp, and browned. Serve immediately.
Mindful cooking is about eating seasonally and bringing all our senses to the task. As you are preparing the courgette flowers, look carefully at each petal. Consider how careful and gentle you must be with each flower to keep it intact. Pay attention to every part – the stamen, the colour of the petals, any remaining pollen. Contemplate the journey that these delicate flowers have made to get to you. Bring your awareness to the season, and the fleeting availability of this ingredient over summer. Can you extend these feelings of appreciation to nature and its wonders? How else could you incorporate appreciating nature into your everyday life?
