I’ve been thinking about squash blossoms a lot lately-- I can’t wait to get my hands on some. All I’ve ever done is stuff them with a little seasoned ricotta, beer batter them, and fry. Any other ideas for what to do with them? I’d love to try something without a batter this year.
Maybe try chevre instead?
Had an awesome version at Craftsteak in Vegas last year.
I’ve actually tried variations on the cheese-- not chevre (although I like the idea), but I tried mascarpone. Still, I wonder if there’s a preparation that doesn’t cover them up. They’re so pretty just as they are.
I’ve only had tempura battered and soft cheese stuffed.
Some years ago a vendor at the Santa Fe Farmer’s market was selling squash blossoms. We bought some and since it was near the end of the market day, we got the rest that they had for a couple bucks more. We bought a bunch of soft and semi-soft cheeses on the way home. With our friends Diana & Marshall Gelb, we proceeded to go through nearly all the squash blossoms stuffed with different cheeses, fried with different batters, and with different dipping sauces. It made for an interesting evening. Nearly every combination worked well.
Try sauteing them in a very delicate EVOO, then sprinkle with a little salt.
Saute with onions and make a quesadilla with some oaxaca cheese.
Cook em with evoo and toss in with a light pasta with spring veggies.
Make a frittata.
A bit or crab in there doesn’t hurt…
Yum. This thread is going in my Ideas box. You can also cut them horizontally and sprinkle them in stir fry.
I’d love to try this. With all the squash blossoms I’ve eaten, I’m not sure I’ve ever really tasted the blossoms.
If you ever get to Santa Fe, NM try Trattoria Nostrani and their squash blossoms. That will give you the chance to taste the actual blossoms. Nellie is magic.
I’ve been to Santa Fe a few times, but I haven’t been to that restaurant. How do they prepare them?
Amazingly. [1974_eating_popcorn.gif]
Dick can provide you more of a preparation summary. ![[notworthy.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/5/5fbbc0631da3a2a241f5540e5127d428c0fc48dd.gif "notworthy"){kind=small}
IIRC it is lightly dusted, flash fried/sauteed with some various cheeses. Then plated with some incredible sauce.
I don’t do batter, so I just stuff them, drizzle with olive oil, and bake them just until the cheese gets melty.
Do they hold their color well when you do this? I’m trying to picture whether the flowers dry out a little and get a little crisp, or if they wilt from the moisture in the cheese. What sort of cheese do you use?
I have this (probably unworkable) image in my head of combining two of my favorite things… squash blossoms and burrata.
They get a tad wilty, but I just do them on high heat for a short time- usually with goat cheese, and other things. Sauteeing them sounds good too, and they do hold their color.