Squash Blossoms - Recipes and Serving Suggestions

Instead of searching Epicurian or Bon Appetit for recipes for squash blossoms all you need is our blog.

Here are 4 novell recipes and 10 serving suggestions...

The Blossoms of Summer Squash

I get asked how to tell male and female squash blossoms apart quite often. Our customers love squash blossoms as one of summers delicate pleasures. But they fear that each flower sacrifices a future baby squash. Is it greedy to consume the flowers and some how cut off the legacy of a future zucchini or patty pan.

Well that thinking is just wrong. Not all blossoms turn into a squash and we can eat these blossoms with full knowledge that we are not damaging the lineage of the plant. Here is a brief lesson in the physiology of the summer squash.

There are two genders of blossom: male and female. Only the female blossom matures into a zucchini or patty pan. The male is there to fertilize the female and resides on a long stem. The female is attached to the tip of the soon to be baby ssquash. But there are many many of the male blossoms and only a few can handle all the female blossoms. When we pick baby zucchini and patty pan, pick them so small that they haven't opened yet so it really doesn't matter, we pick both types of blossoms. But there are more male blossoms.

So that is the long and short of it. If you are trying to grow zucchini seed you would have to leave a few. But otherwise you are doing no harm to pick either.

How to Cook Squash Blossoms

We have  1500 row feet of summer squash. In addition to the zucchini and patty pan, we get a large quantity of blossoms. We get asked how to prepare blossoms a lot, so here are some ideas we think your will enjoy.

1. Batter fried - amazing flavor, but adds lots of calories for a low calorie food.
2. Stuffed with a flavored cream cheese
3. Stuffed with a flavored cheese, we like pepper jack
4. Sprinkled with your favorite seasoning or herbs
5. Dipped in egg and butter cracker crumbs
6. Raw
7. Sauteed with your favorite sauce.
8. Stuff with a pesto or aoli

For serving a large quantity efficiently we like to preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a cookie sheet or two with a nonstick coating. Then stuff the blossoms with your favorite concoction and sprinkle them with your best yummy herbs (we like rosemary and thyme). They can be done ahead of time and then popped into the oven on the cookie sheets so they are all done at the same time. Good for a family meal or for serving at a formal party.

We sell a quart bag of blossoms for $3. It can cost $7 at some of the better restaurants for an appetizer of 3-5 blossoms. So you can experiment to your hearts content and it doesn't need to cost very much.