Cooking Squash, Blossoms Included!

As is usually the case, we have a bounty of squash - zucchini, yellow, and patty pan. And with the squash, comes the blossoms. I have heard a lot about stuffing squash blossoms but was hesitant because I wanted the squash. Come to find out, you can have your squash and eat the blossoms, too!

Seems as though there are 2 types of blossoms, male and female. The female produce the squash while the males provide the pollination necessary for the females to produce fruit. I checked out the plants and there were lots of male blossoms, so I decided it wouldn't hurt to harvest a few for stuffing.I learned that the time of day you harvest is very important. Around noon, the blossoms looked great. By late afternoon, they were looking pretty pitiful. But since I had made a trip to Publix for the goat cheese, I was determined to find some that would work.

I selected the best ones and put them in cold water while I made the stuffing. The stuffing was a mixture of goat cheese, soft cream cheese, parmesan, chopped fresh herbs - basil, lemon thyme, parsley - and enough olive oil to make it a creamy consistency. The cold water helped to revive the blossoms and they were ready for stuffing. I used a plastic bag as a piping bag to squeeze the stuffing in the blossoms. Twist the blossoms closed and refrigerate until ready to cook. Dip in stuffed blossoms in a beaten egg and then dredge in seasoned flour. Fry in hot olive oil until brown. Kenny loved them.The other experiment of the night was Spicy Squash Cakes. These were delicious.


Spicy Squash Cakes
1 cup grated summer squash
1 ear of corn
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion (1/2 of a medium-sized onion)
1 cayenne pepper, chopped (add more if you like it hot)
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour - you may need to adjust the amount for the desired thickness
1 black pepper
Canola oil for sauteing
In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Saute in hot oil until brown. Makes 4 servings. When I make these again, I think I will try draining the squash before combining with the other ingredients. That should help with the consistency without having to add more flour. We served these with salsa and basil aioli. With the grilled shrimp and scallops marinated in Williams-Sonoma Tequila Agave Marinade, it was a wonderful supper.