Zucchini (baby-marrow, courgette) are incredibly versatile vegetables, and very easy to grow. They can be simply sliced and boiled, then served in a variety of sauces from a simple garlic and butter, through to a white cheese sauce or tomato sauce.  They are scrumptious hollowed out and stuffed with either rice or mince. Their flowers are also delicious and can be simply fried, as in this recipe, or stuffed and fried.  Beaten egg whites are folded into an airy batter that fries up light and crisp.  Look for fresh zucchini blossoms—also called squash blossoms—at your farmers’ market, or grow your own.

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1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying
6 large egg whites
24 zucchini blossoms, stamens removed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
  1. Whisk flour and olive oil in a large bowl to combine (dry, pea-size balls will form). Add 3/4 cup warm water; whisk until a smooth, thick pancake-like batter forms. Whisk in 2t salt. Let batter rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
  2. Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy high-sided pot to a depth of 3cm and heat the oil. .
  3. Beat egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form; gently whisk one third of the whites into batter to loosen, then gently fold in the rest of the whites until just incorporated.
  4. Working in batches of 6, dip blossoms in batter, letting excess batter drip back into bowl. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy, 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels.
  5. Season with salt and serve hot, together with lemon wedges.
Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.