Zucchini Blossom Fritters

Prepare the squash blossoms by inspecting each flower for dirt, or bugs (little critters do like to hide inside them). Give them a gentle rinse with water and dry with paper towels. Remove the pistil from inside each flower. Note: For this application, it’s fine to cut a slit alongside the length of each flower, to make removal easier. You wouldn’t want to do this if you were stuffing the blossoms. I also like to remove the little green spikes from around the stem of the flowers.

Saute the blossoms with the garlic and olive oil, in a skillet over medium high heat until softened and lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and add in the chopped basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, egg, and milk. Use a fork to gently beat the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir to combine. The mixture should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. If needed, add in a bit more milk.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to coat the bottom by about a 1/4″; heat over medium high heat. Scoop the batter by the heaping tablespoonful and drop into the hot oil. Use the back of a spoon to flatten each fritter slightly. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the fritter over and brown the other side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with some coarse salt and chopped fresh basil. Serve while hot.