Funnily enough, just before I sat down to write this post to you, I made myself some zucchini blossoms for dinner, unfortunately not with cheese but the winner of today's Marriage Mondays could easily insert itself into this simple recipe.
So, without further ado, let's get to that winner!
Contestant Number #1 - Nettle Meadow's Kunik - This creamster of a contestant is so spectacular that she certainly would take the spotlight away from our star this week. Although delicate and extremely flavorful, Kunik has a weight to it due to the quarter of Jersey cow's cream involved in its recipe. This cow's milk cream increases the heft of the cheese and therefore overshadowing our blossoms. Being a bloomy rind cheese, this is the sort of cheese that if you ask me, should not be heated, some of its flavor intricacies are lost when heated. As a rule of thumb, for me at least, I do not think you should heat artisanal bloomy rind cheeses, it's somewhat like drinking a really fantastic wine too cold -- it masks the flavors. That is not to say that this should be an across the board rule, sometimes more everyday-like Brie can be heated and can be delish to some, less so for me. So as a rule of thumb, I'd keep Kunik separate and would eat this baby at room temperature.
Contestant Number #2 - Ardith Mae's Fresh Chevre - Fresh, vegetal, grassy, tangy and young this contestant mirrors some of our blossoms' fantastic flavors and therefore is our winner this week, the similarities outway the differences here in our pairing. However the best part about of this pairing is how the tang of the cheese and the sweetness of the zucchini blossoms are able to form a perfect bite -- sweet, savory, fresh, and wonderfully out of this world. Each member of this team is young yet at its prime and finds its complement in the other -- the makeup of a great relationship!!
Contestant Number #3 - Bobolink's Jean Louis - Another case of a cheese overshadowing our blossoms, piting these two together will be completely one sided relationship -- it will be all about the cheese and not about this exceptional seasonal bounty. I think what we should take away from this is that something as delicate and seasonal as zucchini blossoms, quintessentially summery and always served young, it should be paired with a light, creamy, young cheese. Why you may ask? Well that's because young cheeses tend to have excess water in them that infuses the blossoms and brings out sometimes hidden flavors. Little fact -- the younger the cheese, the more water in it because the water evaporates or is absorbed or drained as the cheese ages and gains weight.
So how would you utilize the fresh chevre folks?
Well I would stuff the zucchini blossoms with goat cheese and put them in a pan and saute them with fresh basil, olive oil, some white wine, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic, sliced zucchini itself and some summer squash.
Step one: Wash your blossoms and stuff 1/3 - 1/2 way full with goat's cheese.
Step two: Pour some olive oil in a large skillet with two diced cloves of garlic.
Step three: Dice up one full zucchini and one summer sqaush and a big handful of fresh basil.
Step four: Throw all together in a pan with your spices, more olive oil, and a small drizzle of white wine and cook over low heat on top of the stove with a cover on the pan. By covering the pan, the veggies will cook more efficiently and will meld more successfully in terms of their flavor profiles. Take off in ten minutes or when you feel that the blossoms are cooked through and the zucchini is crispy and al dente. Enjoy this with a nice glass of crisp white wine.
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