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Among the seasonal selections at the farmers’ market this week I spied blueberries, radishes, and beets among many others–all tasty, but I was looking for something different that I hadn’t tried before. Strolling past the booths, my eye caught a box filled with bright yellowy-orange flowers–squash blossoms. They called to me to come and investigate.

I’ve heard about using edible flowers as a decoration on wedding cakes and as a garnish, but was intrigued by the sign nearby suggesting a recipe involving stuffing, battering, and frying these beautiful blooms. Even with the helpful hints describing how to cook them, I was a bit bewildered about how to prepare this unfamiliar food; but after a few minutes talking to the farmer, who had cooked up some blossoms for her own lunch that day, I was excited to get home and give it a try. Here’s the recipe I used:

Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms
(adapted from http://sarahmeyerwalsh.wordpress.com)
makes 12-16

12-16 fresh squash blossoms
12 oz ricotta cheese
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh thyme
sea salt
1 cup light beer
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
oil for frying

I first prepared the squash blossoms by slicing open one side of the flower and taking out the stamen (male organ of flower) and any little bugs hiding inside. You can also leave your flower intact and gently open up the petals to do a check for critters and remove the stamen–this will help keep the stuffing from oozing out of the blossom when frying them.

Next, I combined the ricotta, pine nuts, honey and thyme and added a pinch of salt for taste.

To fill the blossoms I used a small spoon, but you can also fill them using a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in one corner. After filling (about 2 tbsp), I twisted the ends of the flower to close the ricotta inside.

Once all the blossoms were filled, I mixed the beer, flour and salt in a medium bowl. This is also a good time to start heating the oil.

When the oil was hot, I covered the blossoms in the batter mixture and immediately placed them in the pan, frying until golden in color (about 30 seconds on each side).

To serve, I placed the blossoms on a bed of greens, but you can also arrange them on a platter as an appetizer.

The fried blossoms were delicious and burst in your mouth. I’m definitely going to make this dish again–it was so fun and easy!

Additional information about Squash Blossoms:

Growing Season: Summer squash can be grown during the warm, frost-free season, whereas winter squash are available in the late summer, fall and winter. Flowers (male or female) from any summer or winter squash variety are edible.

Cultivation: Since the female blossoms are the ones that bear fruit (squash), harvesting the male blossoms is more favorable, leaving you with more squash. If you’re picking the blossoms yourself, make sure to leave a few male blossoms on the plant for pollination purposes. How do you tell the difference between male and female blossoms? Male blossoms grow directly from the branches.

Storage: Since squash blossoms are extremely perishable, they are best prepared right away, but if picked at their peak, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Preparation: Make sure to remove the stamen (male organ of flower) inside the petals and any little bugs hiding inside.

Dishes: Battered and Fried, Soups, Quesadillas, Frittatas

For more information about what’s in season in your local area, visit our Seasonal Food Guides page on the Eat Well Guide or search for farmers markets in your area!