While we were in Italy this summer it was squash season. Every menu we looked at had squash and their blossoms on it, fried, stuffed with many different fillings and even on pizza (which will find its way into our new pizza book). I ate them in all their various forms with delight. When I returned to Minneapolis and saw this dazzling display at the farmer’s market I bought them, more out of a sense of nostalgia than having any real plan for them. Honestly, they intimidated me. I didn’t want to make a mockery of anything this beautiful. I considered just keeping them in the little vase I’d set them in, but that would have been a touch lame and so I soldiered on and learned a valuable lesson…stuffing and frying squash blossoms is easy!
Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Golden Tomato Gazpacho:
Makes 12-18 stuffed blossoms (depending on the size of the flower)
For the filling:
2 ounces soft chevre
1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
2 ounces ricotta, whole milk
1 cup cooked rice
1 yolk
2 tablespoons chopped scallions, white and green parts
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
For the coating:
2 eggs whisked with 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl, set aside
1 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
about 1 cup olive oil for frying
Golden Tomato Gazpacho:
2 medium golden tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 large basil leaves
1/3 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
basil leaves for garnish
to make the gazpacho:
Pick golden tomatoes that are ripe and smell sweet, this gazpacho is all about their flavor.
Throw all the ingredients for the gazpacho in a blender and chop until it is as smooth as you like.
I like it to be well blended, but not perfectly pureed so there is some texture. Refrigerate until ready to serve, it can be made a day or two ahead and it actually improves the flavor.
To prepare the blossoms:
You will need to remove the stamen before you stuff them.
The easiest way to do this is to cut a slit all the way down the blossom and cut the stamen out with a paring knife. This will also make stuffing the flower easier.
In a medium size bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the filling.
Spoon in 1 tablespoon (1 1/2 if your flowers are very large) of the filling.
Fold the cut sides together so they overlap quite a bit, this may require removing some of the filling for smaller flowers. Be sure it is not coming out the top.
In a flat bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika for coating the blossoms, set aside.
Dip the flowers in the egg, coating all sides and the top well. Use your fingers to wipe off any drippy excess.
Dip the egg covered blossom into the flour mixture.
make sure to get it evenly covered, but not caked on. Gently shake off excess.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet to medium heat. Carefully place the dipped blossoms in the hot oil, it should bubble quite a bit. After about 2 minutes flip them over with a slotted spoon, they should be golden. Cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Stir the gazpacho and ladle it onto the plate, place the fried blossoms on top and sprinkle with basil. Enjoy!
They look good however when I stuff squash flowers I never remove the stamens….does it make a difference?
Whoa. These are stunning. I’m trying to give you’re kind of flowers for Valentine’s Day.
What a beautiful photo of squash blossoms. I’ve never had them and I’m liking the idea of making them with goat cheese.
We grow zucchini & squash, yum! But would have never thought we could eat the blossoms. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for something new to try!
I LOVE fried zucchini blossoms and need to try your ‘stuffed’ recipe. lovely photos. if you ever have a minute in your busy schedule, please stop by and see my post about fried zucchini blossoms from last summer (photo on my sidebar). As a professional that you are, I’d love your opinion, since I’m a true home amateur cook in comparison. Grazie! Roz @ la bella vita
This bouquet is so nice! Well done for this delicious recipe. The combinaison of those fabulous golden tomatoes and the zucchini flower looks so good!
i need, need, need to make stuffed squash lossoms this summer…they are some of the tastiest things ever! and that blossom boquet you had was just gorgeous!
Oh, Zoe! This entire website is such a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate! It’s just…well….mesmerizing! Thank you so much.
This is in response to the question about male vs female flowers. You can tell the male flowers because they just have a stem. Female flowers will have a little baby squash attached to the flower. Most people use male flowers because you don’t sacrifice a squash by picking a male flower. However, you can really impress your dinner companions by using female flowers since they do have that petite baby squash attached. It makes for a very impressive presentation. (And yes, the flavor is the same for male or female flowers.)
As for finding squash blossoms, you will probably only find them at a farmers’ market or in your garden. They really need to be used they day they are picked–or the next day at the very latest. You should pick the flowers early in the morning on the first day that they bloom. Don’t use flowers that are a few days old.
Hmmm…last time Carey and I saw these at the farmers’ market, I too thought they were too pretty to pass up. We ended up using them in omelettes; this looks like a much better idea!
Hi Heather,
How cool, did you just throw them in raw or sauté them first?
Zoë
I love courgette blossoms, I always order them in restaurants but I am always a bit frightened to try to make them at home, but your step by step pictures made it seem less daunting… Kind of… : )
Zoe, we had squash blossoms this week, too! Stuffed them with goat cheese, cottage cheese, shredded mozzarella and sauteed shallots/garlic/poblano peppers. They are the best!!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE zucchine blossoms… I must say… they are my favorite food, hands down…
My favorite way to eat them is just sauted in a hot pan with a little olive oil and garlic and salt…
I could literally eat a bushel of them…they are a perfect food!
My parents were born and raised in Italy, and have been eating blossoms my entire life… what a thrill to see those lovely blooms on your blog!!!!!
YUM!
Hi Sandra,
How wonderful to grow up eating such a beautiful food. I will try your preparation, which sounds simple and lovely!
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoë –
I’m hoping the stars will align and I’ll have blossoms at the same that have the time. On the way home this evening, I was thinking of making a batch of your dough for pizza. We had squash blossom pizza while in Provence back in May. They were amazing… pizza or stuffed, pizza or stuffed… I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for the beautiful photos.
We have squash in our backtard and I nevr thought of frying them..now I must.
Hi Sharon,
You are so lucky to have them right at your fingertips!
Enjoy, Zoë
Wow, you did a fantastic job on stuffing those blossoms. They are picture perfect.
So, with a squash having dimorphic flowers, is it safe to assume you only ever want to cook the male flowers? Do the female flowers have a different taste, or is it a moot point as you want those to grow up to be squash? This lingering question is probably the only reason I’ve not attempted any squash blossom cooking myself, as i didn’t wanna cook the wrong ones and shoot my squash harvest in the foot.
Thanks for the pictures, too btw. They beautifully illustrate the whole filling process!
Hey Beau,
Oh, you’ve stumped me on this one! Usually people are so thrilled not to have a garden overrun with zucchinis they are willing to sacrifice a few of their flowers.
Hope you try a few! Zoë
These look amazing! Wish I could find squash blossoms around here!
Yum! I keep looking for squash blossoms by me, but still no luck. Yours look fantastic!
Those fried squash blossoms look to.die.for.