Ricotta & Porcini Stuffed Nasturtiums

My garden is chock full of nasturtiums. It seems I am endlessly cutting them back so I can simply walk through the pathways of my raised-bed garden and still finding myself wading through a virtual sea of brightly colored happy flowers. Their peppery essence is released as I step through the blanket they make covering the paths.

I underestimated their production and now we are quite literally inundated with them.  This is not a problem by any means. What it does mean is I am constantly using them in salads, pizzas and experimental recipes (sometimes to the chagrin of my family). Sometimes this isn't so bad for my 8 year-old stepson such as when I loaded a pizza up with them and they basically dissolved into the pizza while baking. (I'm still working on that recipe and will let you know how it turns out.) However, sometimes I take a crack at a recipe I've developed in my mind and it comes out well. Really well.

When you create something and you love it, then share it, you want everyone with whom you share it to love it as much as you. In this particular case, I was in luck! These delicious little morsels were a winner and I am sure to make them several times over before my nasturtiums fade away with summer.

Ricotta and porcini stuffed nasturtiums

Ricotta and Porcini Stuffed Nasturtiums
(serves 4-6)


125 grams ricotta cheese
8-12 large dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons very fruity olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of peppery red wine (I used Syrah)

Creamy polenta with fontina and porcini mushrooms served with ricotta and porcini stuffed nasturtiums

Sauté onions in olive oil, add dried mushrooms, cover and allow to soften. Stir in garlic and then add the wine. Allow mushrooms to soak up the wine until soft. While hot, immediately stir mushroom mixture and Parmesan cheese into the ricotta. Place in a baking oven and bake at 350 F until hot throughout. 
Remove stuffing from oven and allow to cool so it is still warm. Wash nasturtiums thoroughly and allow to dry. Using a paper piping bag fitted with a fairly large tip, fill the bag with the mixture and pipe enough stuffing into the cavity of each flower. Serve immediately. 


I served mine with a creamy polenta with fontina cheese and porcini mushrooms and grilled vegetables. Delicious!