Fiori di Zucca Ripieni
Squash Blossoms filled with Sausage, Mozzarella and crusted with Breadcrumbs, Pistachios and grated Pecorino cheese.
This is one of those Sicilian food remnants that can trace it's roots to the Arab rule of that island in the 900's. Zucchini flowers, or any kind of squash really, can be found filled with a variety of fillings, sometimes nothing but a single anchovy, other more elaborate mixtures of ricotta or other cheeses.
Most commonly you will find squash blossoms batter fried but the results are too often lackluster. I had some the other day at an uncaring restaurant in which they were filled with a boring mozzarella and dredged in thick batter, they barely tasted of anything.
I have been quietly salivating over this recipe all summer long, I like that they are baked instead of fried and that instead of a batter they are coated in equal parts breadcrumbs / pistachios / pecorino cheese. I used store bought Italian sausage with several extra big pinches of fennel seeds mixed in.
My neighbor grew the zucchini on the plate on our shared fire escape, indeed he gave me three blossoms too but I had to purchase more to create a substantial batch.
For the zucchini salad on the plate all I did was slice them wafer thin and anoint them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, lemon and mint.