Early in the year right before we went into lockdown I took a brief workshop at my local garden store on growing summer veggies. It was not quiet the season for summer veggies, but they gave us a good understanding of types and choosing plants, sunlight, placement, watering, soil conditions, organic gardening etc. Later in early spring, when it was time to plant the veggies the pandemic hit really hard that workshop became a huge savior for me in taking my mind off the pandemic. I used all the techniques I learned and spent time gardening, it was almost therapeutic to get my hands dirty, connect with the earth and watch nature do its thing. I also realized agriculture was way harder than I imagined and I was working a small garden. I planted peppers, zucchinis, a few tomatoes, lots of herbs and my garden is thriving. I feel so connected with the food I grew, honored to create recipes with them and share with family.
Zucchini flowers are a real treat, not something you find at your grocery store readily in the U.S, but now they are getting popular in some farmers markets. In season markets in Italy, Mexico and India have the most beautiful blossoms and are used in many delicious recipes. So if you find them or have them growing in your garden this is one recipe I hope you give it a try. I also have an Indian fried zucchini blossom recipe here.
Zucchini Corn Tacos serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 regular or 7-8 baby zucchini sliced into quarters in lengths
- 7-8 zucchini blossoms
- ½ cup plant milk mixed with 1 teaspoon ground chia till gloopy or 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½-1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon mild paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- Avocado slices and lime wedges to serve
CORN BLUEBERRY SLAW
- 1 cup fresh or charred corn, from (1-2 ears)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 11/2 cups shredded cabbage/ any color
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- salt and pepper
JALEPENO LIME CREMA
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 jalepeno
- juice from 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the zucchini flowers by wiping them ever so gently and set aside. Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl ( for vegan skip the egg and use 1/2 cup oat milk..
- Add the panko, flour, chili powders, 1 teaspoon paprika, Mexican oregano, ground cumin and a pinch each of salt and pepper, to a separate shallow bowl and toss to combine.
- Working with one zucchini or blossom at a time, dip through the egg or plant milk mixture and then dredge through the panko mix, pressing gently to adhere.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining zucchini, arranging them to one side of the pan. Brush or spray the coated zucchini with olive oil. You can either bake in an oven or pan fry the zucchini blooms at this point.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or pan fry in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes each side until the blossoms are golden and crisp.
- Grill the tortillas, place one or 2 blooms on a tortilla, top it with generous amounts of the slaw and crema. Enjoy.
JALEPENO LIME CREMA
- 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.
CORN BLUEBERRY SLAW
Combine all there ingredients for the slaw. Set aside.
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