EASY, Delish Zucchini Roses! #Kosher #Vegetarian too!

My 5 faithful readers may recall last year's post on making Easy Apple Roses:  https://southernwestvirginia.blogspot.com/2018/09/easy-puff-pastry-apple-roses-for-rosh.html  I made them for Rosh Hashonna (Jewish New Year) last fall, and they were a BIG hit with our Elkhorn Inn & Theatre  dinner guests- you don't have to be Jewish to love Apple Roses! LOL This year I decided to try making Veggie Roses, and the first ones were Puff Pastry Zucchini Roses with Tomato Jam- and they were a big hit, too! Everyone loves pretty food with yummy tastes and textures! I found the recipe I started with on Kosher.com: https://www.kosher.com/recipe/zucchini-roses-recipe-3906  I made a few changes- basically I jazzed up the Tomato Jam with cumin, and a bit of chili powder and cayenne, as well as a good dollop of mixed Italian herbs on top of the fresh oregano- but the biggest change was that I actually made them in the TOASTER OVEN- and it worked great! Hubby Chef Dan is a Chef. He is the Latke King of Landgraff, WV, the Pastrami King, the Smoked Salmon Guy, Brisket Bubba, the Rib Meister, & the Smoked Lamb Chop Maven of McDowell County. But I AM THE TOASTER OVEN QUEEN! And if I can make really great Puff Pastry Zucchini Roses in a Toaster Oven ANYONE can!

Ingredients... 

The first step is to assemble all your ingredients. As I only used one packet of the frozen Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Dough (a box has two packets), I made a 1/2 recipe of the Tomato Jam, and did it largely by eye and to taste, riffing off the recipe on Kosher.com: 

Tomato Jam:

Olive Oil for sauteing 

1 Leek, diced (instead of onion)

1 large bowl of chopped fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes

3 Tblsp. brown sugar

2 Tsp. Lemon Juice

1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

2 Tblsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped

2 Tblsp. Mixed Italian Herbs 

Fresh cracked black pepper 

1 Tsp. Cumin

1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Powder

Colavita Olive Oil, McCormick Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat, and saute the chopped leeks (or onions) until they're soft and golden. 

Add the rest of the ingredients, turn up the heat, and bring it to a boil. Then lower the flame to Medium, mash it with a masher, and simmer it for approx 25 minutes, stirring periodically (I like silicone spatulas) so it doesn't burn. I then used a Stick Blender to partially puree it, and added salt, pepper, and the other spices to taste.

When the jam is done, let it cool. It should be a thick and spreadable savory jam. (It's delicious with Hamburgers, too!) 

Sauteeing the chopped leeks...

Frozen Puff Pastry!

Add the other ingredients...

               

Assemble the Roses:

Defrost the frozen Puff Pastry Dough- this will take about 12 hour. 

Grease your porcelain ramekins (little baking cups) or muffin tin with cooking oil spray. 

The next step is to wash the zucchini and slice it paper thin. Use a mandoline or an electric slicer- you need very thin slices to make roses- see my photos for thinness. 

Cook it down and puree into a Jam

Blanch the zucchini slices in a pot of salted, boiling water for two minutes, and then drain and run cold water on them to stop the cooking. (You can also microwave them in a bowl covered with Saran Wrap for about a minute). Lay them out on paper towels to dry.  Unfold the defrosted Puff Pastry Dough and roll it out with a floured rolling pin on a floured surface until it's at least 14" long on the longest side. Cut into 2 1/2" strips.  Spoon the Tomato Jam in the middle of one strip of dough as shown in the photo. 

Tomato Jam...

Puff Pastry Dough cut into 2 1/2" strips

Zucchini slices, arranged so they overlap

A Zucchini Rose, deconstructed...

Place the zucchini slices so they overlap, and so 1/3 of each slice is over the top of the dough - see the photo.  (You should then fold up the bottom of the dough strip over the sauce and the bottoms of the zucchini slices- I forgot to do this. LOL) . 

Rolling the Rose...

A Zucchini Rose...

Then carefully roll up the rose, fairly tightly. 
As you make them, set each one into a greased porcelain ramekin or the muffin tin.
Spray them with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with Kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes, until fully cooked, and the dough is golden brown and nicely done. Make SURE they are done before removing them from the oven. If you see that the zucchini "petal tops" are starting to burn, you can cover them with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. 

Roses, ready to bake!

You can serve them in the porcelain ramekins, or (and if you've baked them in a muffin tin), remove them, carefully, with a spoon, and set them on a plate.

Zucchini Roses, ready for the oven...

Bake at 350F for approx 45 minutes until done.

A Zucchini Rose!

Four Zucchini Roses!

Everyone LOVES Cute Food, and especially DELICIOUS Cute Food- so anything you make like this is basically guaranteed to be a big hit! 

The next one I am going to try is a Potato Rose with Basil Pesto! 

Have you made any fruit or vegetable roses? Tell me in the comments!