Every summer I look forward to that moment when zucchini blossoms show up at the market and I can make this dish again. I like to use mild sweet onions here to highlight the delicate flavor of the zucchini blossoms. This side dish pairs nicely with simply cooked grilled chicken or roasted chicken and is particularly well suited to accompany any mildly flavored fish dish.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- About 20 zucchini blossoms, roughly chopped
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups broth
- Chopped parsley (optional)
- Feta, parmesan,or ricotta cheese (optional)
Preparation:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and zucchini blossoms, stir and cook until the blossoms are tender to the bite.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice grains are opaque. Add the broth, bring everything to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Turn off heat but let the rice sit for 5 minutes undisturbed. Uncover the pilaf and fluff it with a fork.
- Serve the rice pilaf garnished with parsley and/or your choice of cheese, if you like.
Makes 4 to 6 servings of Zucchini Blossom Rice Pilaf.
