Our Sommelier Suggests
Warning: We all could use a glass of wine after this!
Constantinopolitan Greeks consider the preparation and consumption of food to be art. The art of food is manifested in this recipe, the creativity of the Constantinopolitan cuisine is manifested in this Greek mezze. Let’s celebrate this with wine and good company. The vineyards located in the fruitful valley of Drama and the ones located in the mystical Orpheus valley surrounded by Pangaio hills, both in the Macedonia region in Greece, give an excellent quality Sauvignon blanc wine. No wonder Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of grape-harvest, winemaking, and wine was worshipped by Greeks in Macedonia! This is a very crisp aromatic wine with notes of white-flesh fruits. Sauvignon blanc is perfect for putting emphasis on the delicate flavours in this dish.
How to prepare and store courgette flowers
During the heat of summer you can find at your local farmers’ market courgettes with flowers still attached. Do not throw away the flowers because they are not only edible, but also beautiful delicacies. There are two different types of flowers: the male and the female. The male flowers bear no fruit; the female flowers are attached on the courgettes. They both have a bright yellow colour. Male flowers that grow on stems are bigger than the female blossoms and are hard to find at the grocery store or farmers’ market. Female blossoms are smaller but they taste the same as the male. Female blossoms are highly perishable and should be used as soon as possible after purchase, preferably within a day; you can store them overnight in the refrigerator, you should remove the stamens and trim the courgette stems and store them inside a reusable food container or a reusable bag. If you want to store male flowers, remove the stamens and place one inside the other, if they remain stacked one inside of the other, they retain their perfect cone shape; store them inside a reusable food container or a reusable bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Crispy courgette flowers
