Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A trip to Carver Orchards proved to be fruitful. I was allowed to pick the flowers off the zucchini plants, which is rare...since ultimately each flower is an unrealized zucchini. This is what makes them so wonderful. I got hooked on these circa June 2007 in a little vegetarian restaurant in San Lorenzo neighbourhood of Rome, Arancia Blu. We didn't realize from the review that brought us there that it was a vegetarian restaurant (since we generally like to have a broader choice of proteins), but for some reason it remains one of the more memorable in Rome.

4 tbsp ricotta

zest of 1 lime
chopped fennel "dill"
1 smashed clove of garlic
sea salt

Mix the ingredients together and carefully fill the zucchini blossoms. I've heard a lot of recipes call for removing the pistil inside the flower, but I leave it intact.

Enjoy fresh or deep fried in thin batter; as we did, but you have to eat these immediately, thus no pictures ;-).