If you’re anything like me you receive a fair number of e-mail chain letters from time to time, promising you everything from a stake in a Nigerian inheritance to a Best Buy gift card to undying love from the man of your dreams, all from forwarding an email to x number of people in your address book. You probably even have one friend who is notorious for sending them despite guaranteed eye rolls from everyone in their address book.
Occasionally though (so rarely that it barely counts) they have a good underlying message, like the one that tells the story of a man who pulls out a set of lingerie from his wife’s drawer. The tale goes that she was saving it for a special occasion, but never got to wear it because she died. It continues…
“Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”
I know I’ve been trying, not always successfully, to live by that principle as much as I can. I no longer save my good bottles of wine for a special occasion and I am certainly unafraid to move half way across the country in search of adventure. But because I am human though there are still things I put off. I don’t really ride my bike because I’m afraid of traffic. I don’t always have the courage to talk to cute guys I spy at a bar or on the “EL.” And I rarely make truly indulgent recipes, fried ones, just for me. Even though I know in the grand scheme of things one fried meal or two will certainly not ruin the waistline I talk myself out of making them. I bookmark them on the internet or rip them out of Food & Wine only to push them aside for one meal or the next.
When I spied zucchini blossoms at the farmers’ market the other weekend I knew it was time to give in. I’d heard they were amazing fried and I knew if I waited too long they would quickly be out of season. I’d regret it and be stuck waiting until next July, when I would probably talk myself out of it again.
I’m glad I caved in because these were lovely. Stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese, bacon and garlic scapes, among other things, they were the perfect combination of creamy and savory, especially paired with the light crunch of the tempura batter. The blossoms add just a hint of vegetal flavor, so soft you’ll almost miss it. I don’t think I’m going to move to eating fried food everyday, but this is a great recipe to savor for that rare window when zucchini blossoms are in season. And for the record, despite my best efforts with the digital camera, these taste FAR better than they look.
Serves 6 as an appetizer with a little leftover filling. Not that you’ll mind though, it’s delicious enough to lick from a spoon or spread on toast.
Ingredients:
-2 slices thick cut bacon, diced
-2 tablespoons sliced garlic scapes (about 2)
-3 ounces goat cheese (6 tablespoons)
-1 tablespoon half and half
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-¼ teaspoon sea salt
-12 zucchini blossoms
-1/8 teaspoon black pepper
-1 cup rice flour
-½ teaspoon sea salt
-1 cup club soda
-Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
-Honey, for serving if desired
Method:
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it is sizzled and has rendered much of its fat, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic scapes and sauté an additional 3-4 minutes until they have softened slightly. Drain off any excess fat using a strainer or on paper
Allow mixture to cool slightly (about to room temperature) so it is easier to handle and mix with the goat cheese, half and half, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well combined.
Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling into each blossom. Close the blossoms and gently twist the petals to seal.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and soda water until smooth. Set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don’t have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 minute.) Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until light golden in color. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels.
Drizzle blossoms with honey, if desired, to serve.
What about you? Is there anything you’ve been putting off that you’d like to finally do?
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The filling sounds amazing, and the squash blossoms are beautiful! I completely agree with you about it being just fine to splurge on a not-so-healthy meal every now and then. I recently had a big plate of falafel – in all of their deep-fried glory – and they were simply delicious. In my view, eating decadent meals on rare (and not necessarily special) occasions makes them taste even better!
What a beautiful post
I certainly don’t eat fried foods every day, but they are definitely worth it sometimes! Especially with something local and seasonal like this.
I’ve never had squash blossoms, but I’m certain I would love these.
Wow, these look absolutely out of this world!! I need to get my hands on some zucchini blossoms ASAP
And I love that saying… It’s very true
omg, i’ve so been meaning to try these!!! but i haven’t seen them recently
these look incredible, and i think i need ot embrace that saying a little more 
Hello! I found this blog in Foodista and followed it here. This is a lovely blog and awesome Tempura Battered Zucchini Blossom recipe. Reminds me of mom’s recipe and it was superb, I bet yours is excellent too! By the way you can place more Foodista widget in your past and future blogs so that other Foodista readers can follow and see your blog too. Just search for a related recipe or food in Foodista and use its widget. I hope to read more from you. Cheers!