SEXING THE ZUCCHINI. AND EATING IT, TOO.

As I sit here waiting to see if the ants in the zuke blossoms will decide to work their way out, instead of me having to evict them--my latest attempt at finding a nonviolent way to have my way with these blossoms--I begin to see why Umbria is the home of slow cooking. 

Now zucchini blossoms, be they male or female, are pretty delicate creatures.  I am currently trying a combo of gravity and blowing hard at them in the direction of the exit. (This is opposed to yesterday's method of trying to create an unattractive swimming pool for them that will wash them out--very time consuming). But things aren't going so well with the current method. Several of the ants eventually got the hint, but a lot of their flying friends are zipping around me and the blossoms, eager to take their place. I am thinking about the next step en route to the fried zucchini recipe from Epicurious that I want to try.

Here's the more-or-less happy result of the de-anting process

MY FRIEND, WHO IS NOT INTIMIDATED BY ZUKES OF EITHER SEX

I have a friend whose eyes light up when she sees a z blossom. She knows just what she wants to do with them, and she isn't even Italian. So where is she when I need her? Back in the States, of course;however, she has a good excuse: she's awaiting the birth of her first grandchild. But she will be visiting soon, and then we will all be learning something about how to stuff a wild zuke blossom.

FOR THOSE INNOCENTS WHO, LIKE ME, NEEDED A LESSON ON SEXING THE ZUCCHINI

Here she is...Mme. Zuke in all her exhibitionist glory!

Two Lady Zukes proudly strutting their stuff, while the male hides shyly:Here she is with her best friend, with whom there's a bit of rivalry going on.  

Shy guy:Finally got him to open up. But tell the truth:who has the more impressive apparatus?

(No matter. The two ladies will probably be fighting over him, anyway)

PS:Now on my goofy old computer, all of these photos look sideways. But maybe they will perform better for you. It kinda' works from any angle, though, so I am not going to get my knickers in a twist over it. In fact, I'm not even wearing any.