Zucchini flowers filled with suppli rice

2 tsp olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1.5 cups veggie stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
50g feta cheese, crumbled
18 fresh zucchini flowers (approx 250g)
1/4 lb baby spinach leaves, coursely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basin leaves, coursely chopped
1/3 cup freesh flat-leave parsley
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp EVOO
2/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in saucepan. Saute onion and garlic until onion is soft. Add rice, wine and stock, bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered with occasional stirring, about 12 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in grated Parmesan and feta and allow to cool.

Remove and discard stamens from center of zuccini flowers as well as the stems. Fill flowers with rice mixture and twist petal tops to enclose filling. Place filled flowers on an oiled oven tray and bake uncovered at 400 degrees about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Separately, combine spinach, basil and parsley in a bowl and toss with vinegar and EVOO.

Serve baked zuccini flowers filled with rice over the spinach/basil/parsley salad and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

Mushroom soup with sherry, mint and lemon rind

1 lb button mushrooms
4 cups veggie stock
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp cream
salt and pepper

Put mushrooms, stock, grated rind and lemon juice, mint and sherry in pot or sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until mushrooms have released their juice. Blend in a food processory until fairly smooth. Return to the pot, add cream and heat gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.