PICKLED ZUCCHINE

Cooks in Italy's South fry zucchine and then flash-pickle them.  While the ratio of ingredients will vary house to house, the zucchine are normally marinated in a bath of vinegar, garlic and fresh mint.  The zing of vinegar, the heat of garlic, and the coolness of mint transform this simple squash.

Zucchine alla scapece is a traditional side in Naples. Both the oil and the vinegar come from nearby producers, highlighting the flavors of local vino and regional olives.  Ruled for centuries by the Spanish, Naple's food is also inflected with an Iberian accent.  The name of this dish, in fact, comes from the Spanish "escabeche" -- meaning cured in vinegar.

INGREDIENTS:

* 5-6 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

* Extra-virgin olive oil

MARINADE 

* Red wine vinegar, 150 ml

* Water, 150 ml

* 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

* 1/4 cup of mint leaves, unchopped  

Wash the zucchine. Then, chop each one into thin rounds -- anywhere between an 1/4 and 1/8 inch. Place all of the slices into a large mixing bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of salt.  Let the salted zucchine sit at room temperature for 2 hours.  The salt will help draw out the water, making the frying less... splatter-y.  After 2 hours, pour out the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Heat 1 to 1.5 cups of olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil reaches 350F, begin frying the zucchine in batches.  Flip the zucchine slices during frying to ensure that both sides cook equally. After about 5 minutes, the slices should be uniformly golden-brown. Move them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Repeat this process until all are fried.  Normally, it takes me 2-3 separate batches. Keep the oil. 

While the zucchine are frying, pour the water and the vinegar into a sauce pan.  Heat the liquids over medium-high heat, adding the minced garlic.  The acidic water will help cut the spiciness of the raw garlic.  Cook the garlic-vinegar-water mixture for 10 minutes.  It's fine if it bubbles and boils. 

Pour the marinade over the fried zucchine slices.  Toss the dressed vegetables with the whole mint leaves and 1-2 tbs. of the frying oil.  Let the dressed zucchine marinate for a 2 hours before serving -- this gives the zucchine time to absorb the vinegar and the mint time to accent the dish.  Marinated zucchine will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. 

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

When in Bologna, try the meat sauce. When in Florence, nosh on salami. When in Rome, eat fried food. Both hostarie (fancy-pants restaurants) and pizzerias with vinyl tablecloths serve up fried antipasti in Rome. Conventionally, the fritto misto alla romana is a mix of battered-n-fried veggies and meaty odds and ends (sweetbreads, brain, spinal chord). Romans may love their innards. Visitors, well, not so much.

 Despite purists' complaints, most restaurants now offer less offal-heavy options: fiori di zucca (fried squash blossoms), olive ascolane (olives stuffed and fried), frittelle di baccalà (salt cod fritters) and mozzarelline fritte (fried mozzarella balls). During the summers, markets in Rome abound with baskets of orange and green zucchini flowers. Restaurants and home cooks buy bags of them and either fry them or serve them sauteed in olive oil over a bed of pasta.

Although other regions in Italy stuff zucchini flowers with ricotta or cured meat, Roman-style fiori di zucca are always made with a lone anchovy and a small bit of mozzarella. Once filled, they get dipped in a yeasty batter and fried -- preferably in vegetable or light (not extra virgin) olive oil.

In a frying pan, pour 3-4 inches of oil and heat to 375 degrees.  If you don't have a frying thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by putting a little drop of the batter in the heated oil. If it sizzles and floats to the surface, it's ready.  If not, keep heating.  Fry the blossoms for 2 min.  They should be crispy & lightly golden on all sides. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and serve immediately.  

 INGREDIENTS:

* 10-15 zucchini flowers

* 2-3 eggs

* 1 cup flour

* 4 tablespoons of beer

* Vegetable oil sufficient for frying

* 1 fresh mozzarella ball sliced into thin strips

* Anchovy fillets (or none if you don't like the taste)

Wash the zucchini blossoms and gently pat them dry with a paper towel; remove the tough and spiny base of the flower. Be careful -- it can be prickly and stick to your fingers.  Then, place a thin sliver of mozzarella in each flower and, if you want, one small anchovy. Do not to over-stuff.  Cheese melts during frying but we want it inside the blossom and not oozing out.  Set aside the filled blossoms.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (yolks and whites) with a fork. Bit by bit, sift the flour in, stirring constantly to avoid clumps.  Once your pastella is the consistency of thick pancake batter, add the beer and whisk.  Dip the flowers in batter, letting any extra pastella drip off.