Low country zucchini blossoms stuffed with roasted eggplant
Low country zucchini blossoms stuffed with roasted eggplant recipe in the zucchini category
Recipe ingredients:
- 8 young zucchini with blossoms attached
- 2 whole eggplants
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 4 shallots, chopped fine
- Salt to taste
- Fresh ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- For the grits:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup charleston grill stone ground grits
- 1 to 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup diced sun dried tomatoes
- Salt and fresh cracked white pepper, to taste
Recipe method:
- Split eggplant in half lengthwise.
- With skin on, brush the inside with olive oil, salt and white pepper.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until tender and completely cooked.
- With a spoon, scrap out the center of the eggplant and discard the skin.
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sweat the shallots and garlic without browning for 2 minutes.
- Add the roasted eggplant, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on low heat for 15 minutes uncovered.
- Remove the thyme and bay leaf.
- Puree the eggplant mixture in a food processor and chill.
- Fill a plastic pastry bag with the eggplant puree and fill the zucchini blossoms.
- Rub the zucchini blossoms with warm butter so as not to dry out.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Spoon grits in a soup bowl and arrange 2 stuffed zucchini per person on top of the grits.
- Drizzle a small amount of the virgin olive oil over the top and serve.
- For the Grits: Bring the vegetable stock and butter to a boil in a thick bottomed saucepan.
- Stir in the grits and return to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, allowed the grits to cook for another 15 minutes at a low boil, until the grits are thick and have absorbed most of the vegetable stock.
- Stir occasionally to keep the grits from sticking.
- Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the pot and reduce the heat, allowing the grits to cook slowly for another 10 minutes.
- As the liquid is absorbed, add more cream, cooking the grits until the desired consistency.
- Add salt and pepper to taste with a total cooking time of at least an hour.
- The grits should be thick and full bodied.
- Fold in the roasted garlic, thyme and diced tomatoes.
- Bake in 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped chives.
- Serve very hot.
Tags: low, country, blossoms, stuffed, roasted, eggplant, recipe, zucchini, recipes, cooking