Stuffed Squash Blossoms

I think my favorite part of zucchini season, more commonly known as Summer, is making stuffed squash blossoms as an elaborate snack for myself. If I’m around town for the Wood River Farmers’ Market, I line up early to make sure I’m first to get my pick of zucchini with intact blossoms. You may be dealing with an abundance in your garden and I love that for you. Please invite me over.

For this recipe I like to serve it two ways but they are basically the same recipe just constructed slightly differently.

Note: this recipe is flexible and if you do not have every single item listed it is easily modified. All measurements are approximations, this recipe was written while I was having a vibe with items I regularly keep on hand. The size and condition of your blossoms will dictate how much you are able to fill them.

This is a very small recipe, just an indulgent snack, if you plan on making this for a larger group, I recommend that you do not stuff the blossoms too far ahead of time because they are very delicate. They must fried directly after battering and I recommend you do not wait to eat them.

Recipe

Ingredients

4-6 Freshly picked from the farmers’ market or your garden (hopefully never refrigerated if you can help it)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 table spoons Parmesan cheese

2-3 table spoons greek yogurt whey liquid (buttermilk or plain kefir mixed with water would be fine substitutes)

2-3 table spoons potato starch

1-2 table spoons water (to thin batter as needed)

Pinch of kosher salt

~1/2 cup Neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil or a mix of oil and avocado. Will judge you for using seed oils, this is not a safe space.) Enough for a shallow fry, not quit a deep fry.

basil leaves

lemon zest

home made chive vinegar

chive blossoms or chives

Chili oil (Italian Calabrian or Chinese Lao Gan Ma)

Method

1. Whisk together the greek yogurt whey (simply pour the whey off the top of your greek yogurt) potato starch and pinch of salt in a bowl, add one table spoon or teaspoon of water at a time until you achieve a batter that is thin but not too thin (not as thick as pancake batter either.) Set aside until you are ready

2. Mix together the ricotta and parmesan in a small bowl and put it in the corner of a small sandwich bag (or use a small reusable canvas pastry bag with a fine tip if you are extra like me)

3. Carefully open the zucchini blossoms and pipe the ricotta/parm mixture into the bottom and fill each but not too full (the amount will depend on the size of the blossoms you found.) and lightly twist the ends of the petals to close the blossom like its a dumpling.

4. Put your frying pan on medium high heat, let heat up and add your neutral oil to the pan deep enough so you can shallow fry (think latke deep)

5. Dip each squash blossom in the batter to coat and let the excess drip off before you GENTLY place in the frying pan with the hot oil. not close together.. As they get golden, flip each one on its side, you can usually 2-4 sides. A little bit of the filling will melt out, it’s fine.

6. When they battered blossoms are golden, gently pull each one out with tiny tweezers onto a plate with a paper towel to blot off the excess oil.

7. Plate the blossoms with a light drizzle of chive infused rice wine vinegar, a drizzle of chili oil, freshly finely grated lemon zest, chive blossoms, torn basil and a pinch of flakey sea salt to finish.

   ********If are feeling adventurous, instead of Calabrian chili oil, try Lao Gan Ma chili crisp oil and instead of torn basil, serve each blossom in a basil leaf boat, ssam style. It is incredible.