Fried Zucchini Blossoms - a Perfect Summer Treat

I've been wanting to try zucchini blossoms for a couple years now. The short season and floral nature of the orange and green blooms is alluring. They were always a bit expensive for me, but today at the market I found a box of 10 for $3 and decided today was the day. After 2 weeks of reading various posts and recipes I knew it was time. I got them home and went back out to the store get some frying oil and ricotta and lemons for stuffing. I loosely used the Bon Appetit recipe that had me drooling on my desk last week. 

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A pile of lemon zest, cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of kosher salt mixed with whole milk ricotta made for the perfect filling. 

After cutting out the stamens with scissors, I stuffed each flower with the filling.

With no all purpose flour on hand, I mixed the batter for frying with whole wheat flour and seltzer. AP being a bit finer would have made for a smoother batter, but I think the WW worked perfectly.

Into the hot oil they went! Frying quickly and getting crisp in less than 5 minutes, this really makes for a quick summer snack. I used a small saucepan and fried 2 blossoms at a time (6 total, just enough for me).

I was out of paper towels for draining the excess oil when the blossoms were done so I used a brown paper bag instead (an idea I got last night while reading some of Andrea Reusing's Cooking in the Moment).

The ricotta filling melts into a bright creamy burst with the lemon zest. 

Eh voila! The perfect summer snack! No oven to turn on, a little bit of time in some hot oil and you have a treat made from summer's delicate blossoms with a crispy shell and molten center. Best enjoyed on a patio with a glass of prosecco, light zephyr and good friends.