My garden is a huge part of my life. I’m all about fresh food and new ideas, and that all comes from my own backyard.
My home-office window faces out onto my garden – it was never quite planned that way, but what a blessing it is.
I look out the window and see what’s out there, what’s growing, what could be growing, what’s in season and my mind will start racing. It’s a huge inspiration for me. This column is all about that inspiration and each week I’ll show you what’s in my garden and what we can make using these fresh ingredients.
This week: Courgette Flowers
Courgette flowers were a must in my garden this year. I just love frying these until they’re crispy and oozing with a cheesy filling. Truly delicious! They’ve been a hit in the restaurant too, so it seems I’m not the only one who loves these flowers.
I’m just enjoying the last of mine as they’re coming to the end of the season. I’ll be getting Ken, my gardener, to plant more of these next time.
There’s a lot you can do with courgette flowers, but I have two favourite ways to use them in the kitchen.
1) In a salad: Slice the flowers and sprinkle over a salad to garnish. They add colour and flavour, turning the dish into something special. Courgette flowers work beautifully with any of those great Italian flavours, such as tomato and basil –both of which are in season at the moment, so it’s great timing. Pack your salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Stuff the flower and close it at the tip before frying.
2) Stuff them: Courgette flowers are quite delicate, so you’ll want to handle them carefully. My favourite filling is sliced tomato and buffalo mozzarella – wrap the cheese and tomato in basil and put inside the flower. Close the flower up at the tip, dip them in a tempura batter and fry in plenty of oil. Make sure the oil is heated to around 180oC or your flowers will come out a soggy mess, rather than nice and crunchy. Alternatively, try stuffing them with mushroom, sun-dried tomato and ricotta. Again, any of those great flavours of Italy are a perfect match, so you can’t really go wrong with these ingredients.
