There are those among us that would insist that flowers belong in vases at the dinner table rather than in the meal itself and while flowers do add a certain interest to a table arrangement, the interest for me is in the dish. There are dozens of edible flowers that can make their appearance in dishes in a variety of ways; garnish, essence, crystalised, etc. Zucchini flowers are especially interesting in that while they are often simply used as a garnish, shredded or whole, they often comprise the dish itself.

Zucchini flowers are, as the name suggests, the vibrant yellow flower of the zucchini plant. The zucchini belonging to the Curcurbia genus along with pumpkin, squash (zucchini is Italian for ‘little squash’), marrows and edible gourds.

Zucchini flowers often make their appearance at markets while in season and you may have noticed that there are two different types. One with a long narrow stem (the male) and one with an actual zucchini in its infancy attached (the female). Both are edible.

On the Sunshine Coast, Kim Stokes has found her own niche market by growing zucchini flowers at her Landsborough property. She grows them specifically for restaurants that consider the flower a delicacy, in turn concocting delicious recipes that feature the flowers in infinite ways. Stuffing the flower is probably the most popular way in which they are served. Stuffings vary from the traditional ricotta based ones to more eclectic mixes with cous cous or prawns or the more delicate flesh of the spanner crab, but the choices don’t stop there. Once stuffed, they are then either sautéed lightly or tempura battered and fried. Cooking times are minimal to retain the delicacy of the flower.

Kim planted over 3,500 plants on their 7.5 hectare property, only a half a hectare of which is planted. The growing season is at its peak from April to December where the plants flower prolifically producing a new flower every three to four days. The flowers are laboriously handpicked, by Kim usually in the early hours of the morning when the flowers are fresh, while most of us are still sleeping.

While you are bound to come across zucchini flowers at the markets when they are in season, if you would like a more assured supply, the flowers can be bought directly from Hinterland Zucchini Flowers or one of the many suppliers that they retail to.

Hinterland Zucchini Flowers
Kim Stokes
Gattera Road, Landsborough
Ph. 07 5494 1238 / 0421 217 565  
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Wholesale enquiries welcome. Visit by appointment only.