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Fried Squash Blossoms anyone?

C

Cook Chatty Cathy

New member
Today I was reminiscing about how when we were youngsters we would forage our way thru the neighborhood! We ate everything that even looked good, including flowers the more colorful the better! Luckily we never got sick :eek: That brought into mind a strange dish I was served at an Italian Restaurant in Monterey, CA. I marveled at the creativity of frying up squash blossoms totally forgetting that I ate blossoms my entire childhood only NOT FRIED!

But here's the best I can remember of that unique dish.... Squash Blossoms (about 5 inch's long and open leaving just enough of the stamen located near the beginning of the stem)to keep the blossom from falling apart, they were lightly coated in a thin batter and deep fried. These were served hot and delicate flavored.

Anyone else out there ever had these? Let me know.

CCCathy
 
I've had them several times, in a number of incarnations. All good.

Strange thing is I've never been able to replicate them at home. They always come out wilted and soggy, no matter what batter I use or how hot the oil. :(
 
Many times the "petals" are frozen after battered to hold up better. In our family they were battered, sometimes just breaded and fried. My neighbor rais my garden for my squash and pumpkin flowers all the time!

I will dig up the old cookbook with the family recipes for you on this.
 
That will be really nice Mama. Not that this is the season for blossoms! But it pays to be prepared, just in case I have a friend that can let go of a few blossoms!

I always thought the batter was from a corn starch base, being as light and crispy as it was. Kind of like the batter that Chinese cooks use, I recall them being a very light tempura.

Now it seemed to me it was sort of a novelty dish, as it really contained very little substance.:eek:! I remember thinking "Boy I wonder who would want to pick their blossoms and loose a perfectly good squash in the process"! Of course squash can be mighty prolific as any gardener knows;)!

Have A great weekend, CCCathy
 
Plus if you use the male blossoms you can have your cake and eat it to.
 
the easiest batter is one egg mixed with a bit of milk or water, garlic powder and flour - combine well and refrigerate for one hour before using it - when ready - dip and place in hot oil - make sure the oil is 365* F. - 375* F. or they will absorb the oil and lose their taste - they should crisp up well
 
I have never had these before, but it reminds me of an issue I had with my garden last year. In my idiocy over the last few years, I would feed some of the chipmunks outside of my house with peanuts. I thought it was neat that you could get them to climb right into your hand if you were patient enough.

Well, this was all fine and good until I started growing pumpkins. I kept noticing that the pumpkin blossoms were disappearing almost as soon as they would come out. One day, walking around the yard, I stood their stunned as I watched a chipmunk go right around and eat every visible blossom in my pumpkin patch! I couldn't believe that little bugger was sitting there with a flower in his/her mouth, chewing away.

Well, after that, I set up home made traps involving a half full bucket of water, sunflower seeds and a small 2X4, and that drowned about 15 chipmunks in a week. After that, I finally started getting pumpkins..
 
Ok Jafo I am going to be kind, but how could you? :( Poor little innocent chipmunks after all. It was only a few pumpkin blossoms :eek:! But you really needn't feed wild creatures it is dangerous and I guess now you understand all the other inherent complications that arise from such! But anyway!!! A lesson well learned.

MamaM thank you for the recipe, I am going to give it a whirl when the season arrives.
 
Well, I have been feeding animals for years, but I can't same the same about pumpkins. :)

I wanted to use this dusty hava-hart trap and catch them, then drive them a few miles and dump them in the woods somewhere, but it is against the law in NYS. They recommend you exterminate them.. Something to do with spreading disease.
 
The Great Chipmunk Debate

Jafo I bet it made you sad having to exterminate those poor little varmits once you found you had to! Despite the fact they were robbing your garden, they were probably cute. We do not have many chipmunks here and when I see them I adore them, my sis in Vermont says they are no more that a nuisance rodent up there.
 
Sorry but I have to chuckle!

Chipmunks eating your pumpkin blossoms! I had a HUGE chipmunk! My neighbor. I planted 4 different kinds of pumpkins and I had tons of blossoms. But they were disappearing. Everyday I would come home from work and more were gone. Finally my neighbor confessed he had been enjoying them each day for lunch and dinner and he started making them for friends. He's lucky I didn't choke the living sh$%$ out of him right there and then! All that work and all those seeds - I got 2 pumpkins! May he rest in peace.......................

Cathy - enjoy the recipe!
 
Dearest MamaM,

Your story cracked me up! The nerve of some folks! Jeepers after all a chipmunk that has been hand-fed now imagines itself one of the family and will help himself to anything in sight! But a neighbor???

Now of-course I must ask did you hand-feed this guy or at the very least give him food at some point in life, thus spoiling the heck out of him and he just got it in his mind he was one of MamaM's family:confused:;):p

I can just imagine this big guy tip-toeing thru your garden picking blossoms to his hearts content, at least Jafo's chipmunks (no matter how annoying) were cute!!!

Confusious Say: "Boundaries are foreign object to those we hand feed"

:DCCCathy
 
Mama Mangia said:
Sorry but I have to chuckle!

Chipmunks eating your pumpkin blossoms! I had a HUGE chipmunk! My neighbor. I planted 4 different kinds of pumpkins and I had tons of blossoms. But they were disappearing. Everyday I would come home from work and more were gone. Finally my neighbor confessed he had been enjoying them each day for lunch and dinner and he started making them for friends. He's lucky I didn't choke the living sh$%$ out of him right there and then! All that work and all those seeds - I got 2 pumpkins! May he rest in peace.......................

Cathy - enjoy the recipe!
Click to expand...
Boy, thought I had had some bold neighbors. Losing that many pumpkins would make me try to think of a trap of some sort.
Not hurt the dude, but get his attention!!!

All I have lost is my newspapers,
Nan
 
Last year rabbits were eating everything in our garden at my father in laws.
I have a pet house rabbit I have had for years but when he told me about the ones eating the garden I gave him the green light to do anything it took to get rid of them.
I would love to try the fried blossoms.
Funny side note. My father in law recently got two huge turkeys. Their pen is out by the garden. I was out there gathering some sage the other day when the male was all flapping his feathers trying to look mean. I said perhaps we should be introduced. I am the family cook and sage goes wonderful with roast turkey.
 
Thanks
I am afraid Im going to get to try cooking fresh turkey this holiday season. His female is setting on a nest of eggs. Bleh..just dont ask to help with any of the prep work lol.
 
HEY JG,

:(YUCK I HATE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO KILL AND DRESS MY OWN FOUL, BUT WE GOT 12 CHICKS THIS SPRING I CAN ONLY KEEP THE HENS THE ROOSTERS MUST GO- AND THEY'LL GO INTO THE POT! SO I MAY BE FACING THE TASK OF THAT DIRTY JOB I HATE TO MENTION....:eek:

OH WELL AT LEAST THAT FRESHLY BAKED CHICKEN WILL BE YUMMY!!!

CCCATHY
 
I have the weakest stomach on the planet and if I had to kill something to eat I would starve. I know it is pathetic :eek:. I bet the fresh baked chicken will be very yummy.
 
Cook Chatty Cathy said:
HEY JG,

:(YUCK I HATE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO KILL AND DRESS MY OWN FOUL, BUT WE GOT 12 CHICKS THIS SPRING I CAN ONLY KEEP THE HENS THE ROOSTERS MUST GO- AND THEY'LL GO INTO THE POT! SO I MAY BE FACING THE TASK OF THAT DIRTY JOB I HATE TO MENTION....:eek:

OH WELL AT LEAST THAT FRESHLY BAKED CHICKEN WILL BE YUMMY!!!

CCCATHY
Click to expand...

Oh the memories - holding the chicken over the sink - slitting the throat - letting the blood run out - plunging into scalding water and ripping feathers out.......gram did it, mom did it, my whole family did it ----
I prefer mine from the meat counter - sorry.

For really fresh - the poultry supplier will do it all for me.

Thank you very much!
 
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