Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

I learned a recipe very similar to this one in on a culinary tour in Oaxaca a couple years back and it knocked my socks off. What amazed me about it is that the blossoms could be stuffed and served raw, without coating them and frying them in butter or olive oil. Don’t get me wrong, I sure do love them all crispy and fried, but when they are served this way, you can taste the delicate floral flavors of the flower that get drowned out by fat otherwise. It makes for a very fast and beautiful appetizer. If you aren’t growing zucchini, you can often buy them at farmers’ markets in a box. They last a few days refridgerated. We ate ours with some Gruet Blanc de Noir, a sparkling wine from New Mexico made in the traditional way. It makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon!

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Vidalia onion, diced
12 zucchini blossoms
1 cup ricotta
3 oz. feta
Corn from one ear, cut off the cob
2 thin slices of ham, like Applewood, diced (optional)
salt and white pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Melt butter in a medium-high saute pan. Saute onions until soft but not brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add corn and saute another 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Stir in cheeses and ham and season to taste with white pepper and salt.
4. Gently stuff the blossoms with about 1-2 tablespoons of filling (depending on size). They may split and this is okay. Just pull seams together to contain filling.
5. Serve immediately.