Squash Blossoms!
Posted July 31st, 2012
by Libby! Working Owner
The first time I grew squash in my garden, I had no idea that I could 
eat the blossoms. So many flowers had withered and died before it was brought to my attention how delicious these beautiful orange blossoms could be. A friend had brought a bunch from his garden to prepare for a potluck that our house was hosting that night. I wish I could remember what he had stuffed inside the blossoms, but I do remember how delicious they were.
The way I learned to cook the stuffed squash blossoms was to bake them, but upon conducting an internet research on the subject, I found most recipes required they be fried. Of course, fried things are always delicious. However, I tend to lean toward anything less complicated, so I will continue to bake my stuffed squash blossoms. I will have to try them fried at some point, but for now, I will focus more on finding different things with which to stuff some squash blossoms.
My go-to stuffing is a cashew based stuffing. I soak cashews for 4-12 hours, and reconstitute a few sun-dried tomatoes in preparation. In a food processor, I combine the drained cashews, the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, salt, white pepper, lemon juice, basil, oregano, and thyme. I tend to like the stuffing to be a bit thick, so I process the mixture until it is well-combined, but still contains small chunks of cashews.
I also really enjoy a thai curry stuffing. I combine creamed coconut and red curry paste (I really like the Thai and True brand that can be found at the co-op, near the creamed coconut). I add chopped red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, sliced thai basil and salt to the mixture. Yum!
Get creative with the stuffing, anything is possible…quinoa or rice pilaf, black beans and avocado…mmmm.
To prepare the squash blossoms for cooking, remove the stamen, scoop the stuffing into the flower with a small spoon (or your fingers!), then twist the tips of the pedals together. They look so cute! When choosing to bake the squash blossoms, place them on a baking sheet, drizzle them with oil, and bake those blossoms for 15-20 minutes at 350℉. When choosing to fry them, first dip them in a mixture of non-dairy milk and starch (corn, potato, tapioca, etc), then roll them in a mixture of flour, salt and spices. I like to use rice flower, as it gets nice and crispy. The spice blend depends on what would go well with the flavor of the stuffing. Heat up some good frying oil and fry those little blossoms for about five minutes. Yep, fried food is good.
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