Hidden culinary gems of Cyprus: Zucchini flowers

These edible Zucchini flowers now in season and for sale at the weekly Paphos market catch my eye a couple of weeks before I decide to experiment with stuffed Zucchini flowers.

I enjoy these delicacies in restaurants.   When you buy the flowers you realize how fragile they are.  The flowers need to be prepared and cooked quickly before they spoil.

Here is the approach I take,  based on looking at various preparation references and combining different recipe ideas..

First,  it’s important to remove the stamen or pistil from within the flowers. I also gently rinse each flower to check there are no insects hiding there!

Second, I make up a recipe from the fridge with bacon and mushrooms, chopped and sautéed.   Add this to a soft French goat cheese with lots of chopped mint.

Third,  I carefully stuff the flowers with the mixture and cook on a cookie sheet in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Fourth,  the great tasting!

Success!   The stuffed zucchini flowers taste good.   The cooked flowers add a subtle sweetness to the dish and the mint is delicious and typical of Cypriot food.       Only eat the flower petals not the stems or the green leaves.

For a wine pairing, I suggest a Tsangarides organic Chardonnay, which complements the creaminess of the stuffing well or perhaps a Viognier.

What would I do differently next time?   From the recommendation of a Cypriot friend who knows about local dishes,  instead of using a French goat cream cheese, (which is what I had in the fridge when I decided to make this dish!j or perhaps an Italian Ricotta as an alternative, I would use fresh Anari, which is a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus and made from goat or sheep milk.   The authentic recipe!

Kali Orexi! // Bon Appétit!

References:  Tsangarides Winery   Tsangarideswinery.com

Various on line references about the preparation of stuffed zucchini flowers

Hidden Gems in Cyprus

A beautiful, peaceful garden awaits you:   the sun is shining yet there is shade from the heat, bees are buzzing, birds are singing, the oleanders are blooming and the sky is dazzlingly blue.

Village views, hillside walks, old stone houses surround us and a winery to taste and buy wines is close by.  What more could anyone want who may be seeking a time and place of true calm to restore the spirit?

A half day painting in the idyllic garden of Marcelina Costa in Lemona, in the foothills of the Troodos mountains about 1/2 hour from Paphos Airport, introduced us to this wonderful space where complete rest and rejuvenation would be possible.

Two independent stone houses, Lantana and Oleander, set within this meandering garden are available to rent through both Booking.com and Airbnb.

Ever a gracious host, Marcelina is multilingual in Greek, English, German and Polish and delights in explaining the history of the village, highlights local walks, and offers her homemade jams, lemonade, and baked goodies.

What makes Marcelina’s stone houses even more appealing to the wine lover is the proximity of Tsangarides Winery, literally around the corner in Lemona village, making white, red and rosé wines from indigenous grapes, Xinisteri, Mataro and Maratheftiko as well as the noble grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay,     Tsangarides is always a favourite winery of mine for their consistency and high quality.

I have met with Angelos Tsangarides, who with his sister are fourth generation proprietors of the winery and I have previously written about their wines in 2016 and 2018.  Since then, in addition to its traditional vineyards, the winery has cultivated organic vineyards and produce a series of organic wines as part of its overall portfolio of wines.

 

This painting excursion to Lemona reminds me to visit the Tsangarides winery again, and soon!

Creative endeavours have helped many people get through the challenges of the past pandemic year and I am grateful to Marcelina for the opportunity to paint in her hillside garden and to be reminded of the beauty of Lemona, including Tsangarides Winery and the surrounding countryside.

🍷🌸

References

Oleander Stone House. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21159835?adults=2&translate_ugc=false&federated_search_id=48cd5f40-d787-41a1-a5aa-848c0b530033&source_impression_id=p3_1622369311_KbLQG9pu4Xzc9%2FkC&guests=1

Lantana Stone House

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21167741?adults=2&translate_ugc=false&federated_search_id=48cd5f40-d787-41a1-a5aa-848c0b530033&source_impression_id=p3_1622369362_9girLWMM56POoMgD&guests=1

Tsangarides Winery,   http://www.Tsangarides winery.com