Thanks to the initiative of the “Committee for Niçoise Cuisine as a World Heritage”, Niçoise cuisine has been inscribed on the Unesco heritage list.
“Cuisine, being our heritage, also deserves a reminder of traditions before recipes!” says its president Alex Benvenuto.
The arrival of the good weather after the “ice saints” will allow us to find trompette zucchini and zucchini flowers.
The Nice zucchini and the zucchini flower are part of the Niçoise myths, much like the “la bléa or lou toumati”. The subject is passionate, and we will defend the “real” recipe for fritters or stuffed flowers like an institution…, even though this doesn’t mean it is unchangeable since it has evolved over time. Every neighborhood, every village, every family had its own version of the “real” recipe.
And in any case, as the Niçois proverb reminds us: “A la calada li cougourda degouòlon.” / At the descent, the gourds roll.
No “cougourde” in the French Academy dictionary; only gourds and squashes. How to find one’s way in the large family of cucurbits?
Ah! the “lounga de Nissa”. No need to describe this “cougourdeta” to the Niçois who recognize it by any name given: trumpet zucchini, butter zucchini… Slightly swollen on the flower side and less so on the other end, with a thin, striated light green skin. Its cousin, the “zucca d’Albenga”, with more tortuous shapes, holds its place in the Ligurian culinary art. The flowers are prepared in “bigneta”. When mature, this “lounga” can reach a meter in length and is part of the composition of the squash tian. R Rancher does not fail to mention that “lu primairenc noun si vendon bouòn pati”, early vegetables do not sell cheaply.
The squash plants, “cougourdié, cougourdièra”, run over several meters and climb (rampeon). Unfortunate woman, perhaps not so unfortunate, “aquela que s’en estaìa au cougourdié”, the one who stayed among the squash plants and donned St. Catherine’s bonnet.
Gourds and calabashes can take on multiple forms and serve various functions. Dried during winter and then emptied of their flesh and seeds, they can be handcrafted into utilitarian decorative objects, artistic pieces, and even musical instruments.
Li meravilha or maravilha (wonders) with original forms, painted, sculpted, engraved by art craftsmen, alas, were not presented at the Cougourdoun this year*.
Five recipes for gourmets
Zucchini Flower Fritters/ Li flou de cougourdeta en bigneta
The market for 12 flowers: A bunch of a dozen zucchini flowers, 150 grams of flour, 2 eggs, 20 cl of sparkling ice-cold water, 1/2 packet of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, frying oil, salt, pepper
In a salad bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder. Make a well and pour in the beaten egg yolks, water, oil, and a pinch of salt. Let rest for ½ hour in the refrigerator.
Do not wash the zucchini flowers as they are very fragile, but clean them of any impurities. Cut the stems to about ten centimeters, keep the yellow-orange pistil in the center, which enhances the taste.
When cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold them into the fritter batter. In a fryer or deep pan, heat a good amount of olive oil to 170°C to avoid greasy fritters.
Dip each flower one by one into the batter, drain slightly, then plunge into the hot oil. Let them brown on each side, then drain on absorbent paper. Arrange them on a plate that has been warmed in the oven. Salt and pepper them, and serve.
As there is always a little unused fritter batter left, the Niçoise housewives, who dislike waste, usually coarsely grate small long zucchini into it and shape a new batch of golden fritters with a tablespoon.
Variant: you can also remove the pistil, but it is less tasty.
Omelet with Small Zucchini Flowers/ Li cougourdèta en melèta
The market for 2 people: 4 zucchini with well-opened flowers, 4 eggs, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil
Set aside the flowers after removing the pistil. Slice the zucchini into 3-4 millimeter thick rounds and fry them in a pan with olive oil, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. They should be nicely browned but not burnt to maintain their delicate taste. Sprinkle with thyme flowers, salt, and pepper.
Cut the flowers into thin slices.
Beat the eggs lightly and incorporate the still-warm flowers and cooked zucchini. Your omelet can be cooked over medium heat in the zucchini oil, which will impart a beautiful green color.
Pasta with Small Nice Zucchini/ Li pasta ai cougourdeta longui de Nissa
The market for 4 people: 200 grams of spaghetti or fresh pasta – 4 small Nice zucchini flowers, butter or oil, parmesan
Cut the small zucchini into one-centimeter rounds and put them in the cold water intended for the pasta. As soon as it starts boiling, add the flowers without the pistil and proceed with cooking the pasta.
Drain pasta and cooked zucchini together, season with butter or, preferably, olive oil.
Arrange on a pretty earthen dish and add parmesan just before bringing it to the table. Everyone can use the pepper mill as they wish.
At the beginning of summer, with a slice of raw ham and a fresh rosé, you will have a complete, light, easy-to-prepare, and delicious meal.
Zucchini Flowers Steamed with Thyme/ Li cougourdeta à la vapour de ferìgoula
The market for 4 people: 1 kilo of small zucchini flowers, 3 beautiful thyme stems, salt, oil, vinegar
Cut the zucchini into 6-8 centimeter segments and split them lengthwise. Place 3 lovely thyme stems at the bottom of a pressure cooker, add two fingers of water, and steam your zucchini in the vegetable steaming basket. Count 10 minutes. Tastefully arrange your zucchini, skin side up, on a pretty serving platter or directly on plates. Salt, add a few drops of sweet wine vinegar and a dash of olive oil. Eat slightly warm.
If the summer heat encourages you to eat light, this dish, accompanied by hard-boiled eggs and saffron tuna, followed by goat cheeses with pepper and thyme, will be a delight of freshness and flavors… with a well-chilled rosé…
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers/ Li flou de cougourda farcidi
The market for 8 people: 2 dozen well-opened zucchini flowers, 100 grams of minced ham or veal, 80 grams of grated parmesan or sbrinz, the green part of a dozen chard leaves, 1 onion, 20 fine Nice zucchinis, 1 egg, olive oil, salt, pepper
Gently remove the pistil from the flowers and place them gently on the work surface, ensuring they remain open. Cook the trumpet zucchini cut into segments for 15 minutes. Five minutes before the end of cooking, add the green chard cut into thin strips. Brown the finely chopped onion in a pan. Once browned, add the minced veal or ham to the pan. Adjust the seasoning. Mix in a salad bowl the contents of the pan, drained chard, pressed in hand and finely chopped, mashed zucchini, grated cheese, and beaten eggs. Carefully stuff each flower with a teaspoon. Close it by folding the petal tips over the filling. Arrange them head-to-tail in a baking dish and cover them with a light tomato sauce before placing them in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C.
They will be even better if you let them sit on the table for five minutes before serving. The sauce will then return inside the flowers.
Variants:
- You can bake them without covering with tomato sauce, simply drizzling them with a dash of olive oil, and serve with a tomato dressing on the side.
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The gourmets prefer to leave the pistil.
