Squash Blossoms

There is a new culinary trend sweeping the nation, catching the curiosity of chefs and foodies alike; using squash blossoms to prepare light summer treats and to garnish main courses. These edible flowers are an age-old favorite in Italy and India, but have recently gained a lot of hype in the US.

Much to my surprise and delight, there were boxes of 6 or 7 for $2 lined up at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market this past weekend, along with a printout of some very helpful hints on how they should be prepared. After doing a bit more reserch on the INTERWEBS, I found two different tempting recipes; fried squash blossoms stuffed with fresh mozzerella and basil (i used sweet thai basil from the market), and a light butter sauce to toss with fettuchini pasta.



The Recipes:

GARDEN SQUASH AND
BLOSSOM BUTTER
PASTA

4 blossoms
1 shallot, diced small
1 t. each finely chopped fresh savory and thyme
2 t. finely chopped Italian parsley (i used basil instead... i would have also added garlic... next time!)
4 T. sweet butter, softened (set and extra 2 T aside to saute the squash)
Salt and pepper
about a cup of chopped squash and eggplant
1/2 cup chicken stock
Fettuchini

Separate blossoms from stems and chop the flowers. Blend flowers, shallots and herbs together with butter and season with salt and pepper. Slice squash and eggplant into thin rounds.

Gently saute squash and eggplant alone in butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and squash blossoms and simmer while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and toss with the sauce. Season and mix well.




STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

This is a very simple recipe. All you need is 2 eggs, corn meal or flour, salt and pepper, fresh mozzerella and basil (You can also stuff with an array of other ingrediants). Stuff the blossom with enough ingredients to wrap the petals completely around, dip in egg and dredge through the corn meal (you can season the corn meal with salt and pepper). fry in olive oil on medium heat until the outside is crispy and the cheese begins to burst out of the fried blossom. Serve hot! (there should probably be some more seasoning, need to experiment a little with that... garlic?)