Stuffed Courgette Flowers with Ricotta

From early summer until autumn, the flower attached to the tip of a courgette – resembling a marigold-orange ‘lantern’ – is much prized. It is perfect for stuffing, albeit a bit fiddly, but well worth the effort. Serve as a first course with a little salad made with soft leaves and maybe fronds of chervil and fennel. Dress the leaves in a light olive oil and white wine vinegar or verjuice; you want it all to be fragrant and light.