Cooking Instructions
1.
To prepare
Squash Blossoms (50)
, gently open the petals and use your finger to snap off the pistil.
2.
Leave a bit of the stems intact to the blossoms to enjoy the texture of the blossoms once cooked (or snap these off of the blossoms).
3.
Use a dry kitchen brush to brush off any debris that may be on the outside of the blossoms and set your blossoms to the side while you prepare the filling.
4.
In a large skillet, add
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (4 Tbsp)
and the
Onion (1)
. Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent.
5.
Add in the
Garlic (2 cloves)
and
Tomatoes (2)
, continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced down a bit.
6.
Add the
Carolina Gold Rice (1 cup)
,
Zucchini (1)
and
Vegetable Stock (4 Tbsp)
. Stir to combine and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring often.
7.
Add your
Fresh Parsley (1/2 cup)
,
Fresh Mint (2 Tbsp)
, and
Fennel Leaves (2 Tbsp)
, stir to mix all the ingredients well and remove from heat. Season with
Salt (1 tsp)
and
Ground Black Pepper (as needed)
to taste.
8.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
9.
Line the bottom of a baking vessel (a round vessel with a lid is best) with
Zucchini (1)
.
10.
Gently open a squash blossom and insert a heaping teaspoon of the rice mixture into the cavity of the blossom.
11.
Gently fold the tips of the petals inward to seal the filling and place atop the zucchini slices in your vessel.
12.
Repeat filling with the remaining blossoms, arranging tautly in your baking vessel.
13.
Add your
Vegetable Stock (2 cups)
to the baking vessel and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top of the blossoms. Place an inverted plate over the contents and place the lid of your baking vessel on. Place into your preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Remove from the heat, remove the lid from your vessel and allow to cool a bit.
14.
When you are ready to serve, spread some
Greek Yogurt (to taste)
on each plate. Top yogurt with some zucchini slices from the baking vessel, place some squash blossoms on top of the zucchini and garnish each dish with parsley, mint, and fennel leaves.
15.
Serve blossoms warm or at room temperature.
