Squash Blossom Sauté

If Your Garden Grows Summer Or Winter Squash Sauté the Blossoms

There is gold in them thar gardens! You don’t need to wait for the squash,
pick the blossoms and follow me.

For years I watched my squash vines glow with golden flowers beckoning me to pick. I watched cooking shows prodding me to enjoy these flowers as a savory dish. There are a few of us wary of tasting petals as real food. Eureka! I plunged in and made the journey that is to become a tradition when I spot this morning gold in my garden. You must pick in the morning, they are withered by the noon day sun.

The esteemed cookbook author-restauranteur Yotam Ottolenghi waxed poetic about being served squash blossoms for breakfast as a child. Now I understand! This version is but eggs, parmesan, and olive oil. The results yield a lovely omelet-like dish also great as a side to any meal.

Collect the blossoms in the morning by cutting and storing in the fridge in a plastic bag—no washing, just a sheet of paper toweling, and keep the bag partially closed. Continue to collect the blossoms for up to a week or until you get about 3 blossoms per diner. Then follow this recipe

INGREDIENTS: Serves 3-4

squash blossoms – 12-15
eggs – 3
salt – 1/4 tsp
pepper – 1/4 tsp
parmesan cheese – 3 TBS
olive oil – 2-3 TBS

Cucurbita_pepo_Squash_Blossom_and_petal_lobes — This is a male flower [note single stamen]. There will be a flush of them in the first cycle of blossoms

INSTRUCTIONS:

Clean blossoms using a bowl of water: hold the blossom by the stem and gently spin under water. Lift blossom out of water and a gently spin again to remove excess water
Slice off the bottom cup portion of the blossom and the stamen will fall out
In a shallow bowl beat eggs, add parmesan, salt, and pepper
Lay the blossom in the batter and twirl gently to coat inside and out
In a frying pan large enough to hold 3 or 4 blossoms, pour enough oil to shallow fry, about a 1/3-1/2 cup. [Use the leftover oil for another frying event.]
Heat oil until it shimmers
Add blossoms to the pan in single layer; keep blossoms separate. Sauté a minute or two until browned and flip and repeat. Lay on paper toweling and then keep warm in the oven until served
When blossoms are out of the pan and if you have leftover batter, pour in and scramble to serve along with the blossoms