July 8th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

Every summer I look forward to seeing the little old Chinese ladies sitting along Gerrard Street in the east end Chinatown on my side of town with their spread of golden wealth. What I’m talking about are zucchini flowers. And when you see them, grab them. They are definitely the upside of a heat wave. Today I did a 180 degree turn in my car when I spotted them on the other side of the street, screeching to a halt right in front of the sellers, with change dancing right out of my hand. Zucchini flower season does not last long so you have to get them while the gettin’s good. I got these three gorgeous bundles of zucchini flowers, fragrant basil and the freshest looking cilantro I’ve seen in a while, all for only $5. My very good friend, Jennifer, is coming into town tonight from Kitchener for an overdue gab fest. Tomorrow, I see zucchini flower quesadilla’s in our future, maybe for breakfast. Tonight, we’re doing our version of a pub crawl except in exchange for too much booziness, we’ll be eating too many snacks at multiple venues in this smouldering city.

And while we’re out and about, we will talk about what to do with these beautiful flowers. Should we stuff them with fresh ricotta or mascarpone, sautee them, coat them in tempura batter and fry them. The possibilities are endless. So the next time you spot this golden bounty, make sure you let me know and I’ll race over and pick up a bunch or two or three.