At our first meeting of 2013 we enjoyed fried zucchini flowers and a spinach quiche all from home grown vegetables. Here are the recipes we cooked together and shared.
Stuffed zucchini flowers
6 zucchini flowers
100 g ricotta
20 g grated Parmesan
1/2 lemon, zested
Salt
Remove stamen from flowers. Check for insects.
Combine stuffing ingredients. Gently place a heaped teaspoon of stuffing inside the zucchini flowers, trying to rip the flower as little as possible. Twist the top to close.
Heat a pan of oil and when ready, dip the flowers in the batter to coat and deep fry a few at a time until crisp.
Tempura batter
100 gr rice or corn flour
150 gr plain flour
10gr baking powder
enough iced soda water to make batter (should coat your finger)
Mix all the flours together gently add iced liquid.
Briefly stir- can stay lumpy but do not overstir.
Dip ingredients immediately into batter and deep fry in hot oil.
Alison's Zucchini Cake (Floras Famous Courgette Cake)
by Nigella Lawson
by Nigella Lawson
60g raisins (optional, and I didn't use them)
250g courgettes (2-3, weighed before you grate them)
2 eggs
125ml vegetable oil (I used rice bran)
150g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 21cm round tins.
If using raisins, place in a bowl and cover with warm water to plump them up.
Rinse whole courgettes, and then grate (skin on) with the course side of a grater. If its too fine it turns to mush. I can vouch for that...
Place eggs, oil, and sugar in bowl of electric mixer, and beat until creamy. Fold in sifted flour, bicarb, and baking powder. Stir in courgette (and raisins if using).
Cath's Silverbeet and Ricotta Quiche
recipe from Taste.com.au
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch silverbeet, trimmed, shredded
8 eggs
1/2 cup pure cream
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Pinch ground nutmeg
100g fresh ricotta cheese, crumbled
recipe from Taste.com.au
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch silverbeet, trimmed, shredded
8 eggs
1/2 cup pure cream
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Pinch ground nutmeg
100g fresh ricotta cheese, crumbled
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add silverbeet. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until silverbeet has wilted. Remove from heat. Cool. Arrange mixture in pastry case.
Place eggs, cream and cheese in a large jug. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in nutmeg. Pour over silverbeet mixture. Top with ricotta. Bake at 200°C/180°C fan-forced for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden and just set. Serve.
Shara's Zucchini Salad (Zucchini carpaccio by Pod and Three Peas)