Stuffed Courgettes Avgolemono and killing three birds.. with one stone!!

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If you get some lovely, fresh courgettes (zucchini) with their flowers on don’t throw away the flower and if you scoop the interior or courgettes to stuff them, don’t throw that away either. Here’s what I did:

I made these three recipes one day during May, when I went to the farmers’ market and saw some lovely fresh courgettes .  I chose the best ones having a flower on them.   I hadn’t eaten courgette flowers for ages as unfortunately they don’t sell them alone and as much as I would like to stuff them with rice and herbs or rice and ground meat as my mother used to make them, unfortunately I would have to buy a ton of courgettes to prepare that dish.

Returning back home I wanted to cook the flowers while they were still fresh and the courgettes could wait until the next day, as I had already prepared the meal of that day.

I usually go to the farmers’ market around noon, as usually the prices are much better, so coming back I had to hurry and prepare them for lunch.  I made a batter and then carefully stuffed the flowers with the cheeses I had at home, then I covered the flowers with the batter and pan fried them.

Kolokythoanthoi Gemistoi (Batter fried courgette flowers) – Recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time:10 minutes

Ingredients:
10		Courgette (zucchini) flowers
100	Grams	Feta and anthotyro
3		Eggs
½	Cup	Milk
		Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
		Self raising flour
3	Tbsp	Graviera cheese (optional)
		Olive oil for frying
Directions:
1.	Wash the courgette flowers and remove the stamens from inside.  Allow to drain well.
2.	Crumble the feta and anothotyro.
3.	Prepare the batter by beating the eggs and add the milk, salt and pepper and add flour to make a runny batter.  Mix in the graviera cheese.
4.	Open the flower and stuff with the cheese mixture and then dip in the batter.
5.	Heat the olive oil and fry the courgettes on both sides.
6.	Remove on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

The next day I made the stuffed courgettes.  I had chosen the courgettes to be the perfect size for stuffing, which should be neither too small nor too big.   I hadn’t made stuffed courgettes for ages, as my children are not fond of courgettes, so this time I prepared the filling exactly as I make dolmades, except for adding more herbs, and stuffed some vine leaves as well.   Instead of cooking them on the stove top, I cooked them in a casserole with lid in the oven.  If you want to cook them on the stove top, you will need to add more water and less time for cooking .  In case you want to stuff some vine leaves as well, you will, of course, need less courgettes.

Kolokythia gemista me avgolemono (stuffed courgettes with avgolemono sauce) – Recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: about 2hours

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients:

• 18 courgettes (zucchini)
• 400 grams minced pork
• 1/3 cup carolina or arborio rice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup dill (or mixed dill and fennel fronds), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried mint, crumbled
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For Avgolemono:

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup broth
• 1 tbsp corn flour (starch)

Directions:

1. Wash the courgettes and cut both ends. Empty the content with the gadget or use the back side of a fork or spoon but do not cut through one side.
2. In a bowl add the minced pork, the oil, the rice, parsley, dried mint, onions, fennel, dill, salt and pepper and mix all well.
3. Season the cavity of the courgettes with salt and fill leaving space as the rice will expand. Place the courgettes in an oven proof vessel, with lid, next to each other. 
4. Add the water and olive oil and cover the vessel with the lid.
5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and bake for 2 hours at same temperature.
6. Empty all juices from the roasting dish, reserving one cup.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the lemon juice and then add 1/2 cup of the hot broth, stirring constantly with a hand mixer.
8. Pour the sauce over the courgettes and toss the vessel so that the sauce may reach the bottom. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

When I prepared the gemista it seemed like a pity to discard the courgette I scooped out so I put it in the food processor and pureed it.  The mixture was not enough, so I grated a few whole courgettes and made some patties.  Actually, I prepared them and left them in the refrigerator for the next day and I served them as a side dish.

Kolokythokeftedes (Courgette Patties) – Recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Cooking time:15 minutes

Ingredients:
4	medium	Courgettes, grated plus the scooped out
1	tsp	salt
2		Eggs
		Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
100	Grams	Feta
½	Cup	Fine bulgar wheat
5		Spring onions, finely chopped
1	Small	Onion grated
½	Cup	Parsley, finely chopped
½	Cup	Dill, finely chopped
¼	Cup	Fennel, finely chopped
2	Tbsp	Dried Mint
		Flour for dredging
		Olive oil for frying
Directions:
1.	Grate the courgettes and puree the remaining.Place in a colander and sprinkle with the salt and leave it for about 1 hour to drain and then squeeze out all the remaining water.
2.	Crumble the feta, add the herbs, eggs, bulgar wheat, salt and pepper and mix. Leave the mixture for at least one hour for the bulgar to absorb all remaining fluids.(At this stage they can be stored in the refrigerator to be fried the next day or in the deep freezer for a longer period).
3.	Form them into patties and dredge them in the flour.
4. 5.	Heat the olive oil and fry the courgettes patties on both sides. Remove on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

Other related posts:

Kremmydia Gemista (Stuffed onions)

Dolmades

Koupepia

Dolmadakia Gialantzi (Vegetarian dolmades)

Koupepia me Lahana and not Lahanodolmades

Gemista (Stuffed tomatoes)

Kolokythokeftedes (courgettes/zucchini patties/fritters)

Courgette croquettes with Quinoa

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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