Veg-Packed Bean Soup and Zucchini Blossoms

No, I haven’t been eating dinner on the windowsill — the kitchen in our Berkshires rental, while perfectly charming, is decidedly lacking in optimal light for food photography, so I’m using the ole natural light hack, shooting all my finished dishes next to the open window. (Lest my recipes look anything short of perfect for you. You’re welcome!) And Sunday’s finished dishes were good ones, making excellent use of both the pantry and the farm market.

Let’s start with those zucchini blossoms, which I am incapable of not buying when I see them during the thirteen minutes they are in season every year. They look expertly fried, don’t they? If that scares you, let me tell you, I am deathly afraid of deep-frying (the technique not the result), but for whatever reason, prepping these zucchini blossoms feels more like just pan-frying in a deep skillet. And the batter couldn’t be simpler: flour, club soda, salt. I know you can stuff zucchini blossoms with all kinds of fancy cheeses and herbs, but I personally love the simplicity of this preparation, the bright pop of sea salt and the hint of floral in the blossoms.

As for the soup, I would usually make this with canned tomatoes, but we had a pile of heirlooms and wrinkled grape tomatoes that were begging to be put to work, so I added those to the pot, along with some wine to give it the umami that canned tomatoes (and tomato paste) usually bring to the soup. Also, as noted in previous missives, in spite of my family loving zucchini blossoms, they’re not fans of the actual vegetable, so I sautéed the finely chopped squash separately then added to my bowl like a garnish. But the recipe is written with the assumption that your family won’t mind finding a few cubes of zucchini in their bowl.

White Bean Soup with Summer Vegetables and Basil
In a large pot, make a batch of Brothy Beans, using basil instead of thyme (or my White Bean Soup in The Weekday Vegetarians) let cool, then add it to a blender (onion, herbs, bean juice and all) reserving one cup of cooked beans*. You might have to add a little water to get it to desired consistency.

Wipe down the pot with a paper towel, then place it over medium heat, adding 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small yellow onion (chopped), 2-3 medium tomatoes (chopped), 2 small zucchini (chopped), and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high, then add about 1/3 cup white wine (or rosé) to the pot, stirring for another minute or two. Decrease heat to medium and stir in pureed beans and reserved beans. Serve topped with Pecorino, shredded basil, and croutons (store-bought or homemade, see below)

_{*You could also scoop out the one cup of beans, then use an immersion blender to puree the beans directly in the pot, but you’ll end up using two large pots this way}

Homemade Croutons: Add olive oil to a cast iron pan set over medium-high heat. Cut or tear crusty bread (such as a peasant or boule) into cubes and add to the pan, sprinkling with salt and garlic powder (optional). Cook until toasty and golden, tossing a few times as they go. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board.

Simplest Fried Zucchini Blossoms
Makes a dozen

Vegetable oil for frying
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces chilled club soda
1 dozen zucchini blossoms
Sea salt

In a large deep pot, heat about two inches of oil over medium heat. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then whisk in club soda until almost smooth. Don’t overwhisk. Add a tiny drop of batter to the hot oil — you know the oil is ready when the batter sizzles and pops. One by one, dredge the blossoms in the batter, shaking off excess, then add to the oil taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook, flipping once using a slotted spoon until golden brown 2-3 minutes total, then place on a paper-towel lined platter. You’ll have to cook them in batches, but it behooves you to cook them as efficiently as possible, as these are best when served hot and crispy.