Kitchen Conundrum

Feta-filled Zucchini Blossoms – French Fridays with Dorie with a nod to Aglaia Kremezi

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As luck would have it, last week I had a full garden of zucchini blossoms, but this week, I have only zucchini! Not that I am complaining of course! So my plans for making zucchini blossom anything fell apart. This French Fridays with Dorie, which was supposed to be Shrimp filled Zucchini Blossoms, but as I am not actually fond of shrimp, I had planned to make the Feta Filled Zucchini Blossoms that I learned how to make at Kea Artisanal in Greece. But since I was not able to get blossoms in time from the store, we’ll just revisit my time at Kea with Aglaia.

Aglaia Kremezi is a  food writer, journalist, and one of Greece’s foremost cooking authorities and she runs Kea Artisanal with her husband, Costas, on the island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea.  Kea is just an hour ferry ride from Lavrio, a port south of Athens.  

If you ever want to go on a culinary vacation to one of the most beautiful places on earth, and learn from someone who is truly able to pass along the techniques, history and traditions of Greek cooking, then you should visit Kea Artisanal. Their hospitality and their passion for teaching is exceptional. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. 

It was there that I was introduced to Zucchini Blossoms. I’d never had them before and the way we prepared them was so incredibly easy. Simply done, with a small piece of Feta cheese and a sprig of mint, then covered in a light batter and fried.  On the side, we made a zingy potato-garlic spread, Skordalia to dip them and some other vegetables in to- and it was phenomenal!

You can read the post about my Kea Artisanal trip and blossoms here.  See more photos here.

Here we dried out the centers with paper towels-

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Then we filled each blossom with a small piece of Feta cheese and a sprig of mint, twisting the ends slightly to close the blooms.

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A quick dip in a light batter and into the oil it goes.

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The finished vegetables, with flatbreads and Skordalia…..

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Aglaia

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So while my French Fridays with Dorie this week was not really French, and not really Dorie (although the batter is the same for both recipes!), it was great to relive my time on Kea and rekindle my fond memories of zucchini blossoms and Aglaia.

For details on creating these recipes, check out the FFWD site and see others who are also cooking the book-

You can also buy the book here:

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Catching Up with French Fridays with Dorie

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I’ve cooked along with French Fridays with Dorie each week, but am finally getting around to posting the past two week’s creations- Sausage-Stuffed Cornish Hens and Two Tartines from la Croix Rouge. Of the two, the tartines were my favorite.

The two tartines are essentially non- recipes- my favorite kind of recipes- easy, simple and delightfully delicious! The recipe was inspired by the creations from La Croix Rouge, a bistro in the 6th arrondissement of Paris known for their Tartines de pain de Poilâne, open faced sandwiches made on a slice of miche (bread) from the famous bakery, Poilâne.  There are a few locations, but I always visit the bakery at 8 rue du Cherche-Midi, also in the 6th ème,  not just for bread, but for their buttery, delicate apple tartlets found by the counter- heaven! You can also find pain de Poilâne in several of the local supermarkets around Paris- but every trip to Paris should include a visit to this beautiful storefront.

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At La Croix Rouge, a slice of toasted Poilane bread is spread with a little bit of butter and then topped with very thin slices of rare-roasted beef. Topped with cornichons and other garnishes- a slice of tomato or greens, there is also mustard or vinaigrette that can be added if desired. It’s a perfect lunch and a place to gain a bit of sustenance before commencing shopping at some local favorites- Sonia Rykiel, Paule Ka and other fabulous designers. Just remember to bring a large bank account.

I’ve never had their smoked salmon, but it is quite popular and here, this rendition was very good, but everyone preferred the roast beef tartine. I can see it making a comeback again soon.

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The Sausage Stuffed Cornish Hens just had me giggling the entire time. I have never seen the point to cornish hens. I kept thinking of tiny chickens fit for an American Girl doll dinner. I wanted to set a tiny table, with tiny silverware and tiny plates. I kept thinking I should roast them in the Easy Bake oven with miniature slices of vegetables. What a fun photo that would have been!

Seriously though, the Cornish hens were fine. They were nothing too special.  Everyone had their own and there was no fighting for the legs. The sausage stuffing, merely a taste of stuffing, was sadly not very good. Not because of the recipe, but rather the sausage I bought seemed to be more fatty than meaty and yielded a rubbery texture that was incredibly disappointing. I think I would have preferred a stuffed, Frenched chicken breast. Next time! Served with asparagus and roasted potatoes, it made a good dinner but easily forgettable.

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On the other hand though, the Boeuf a la Ficelle (Beef on a String) made another appearance this week and again it disappeared quickly. It’s a favorite and I can see it being requested often. The kids are being spoiled with filet but I am happy to be refining their palates.

While I cannot share these recipes, you can (and should!) buy the book and cook along with us. It’s great fun! Every Friday we make a new recipe. Looking forward to next weeks! For details and to see how others are recreating the dishes from this awesome book, check out the FFWD site.

Buy the book:

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