Fried Squash Blossoms anyone?

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

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 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

[KYHeirloomer]

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.

[Mama Mangia]

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.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

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.! 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

[KYHeirloomer]

Plus if you use the male blossoms you can have your cake and eat it to.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Yeah or we could phrase it "have my squash blossoms and eat squash too"!

[Mama Mangia]

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

[Jafo232]

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..

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

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 ! 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.

[Jafo232]

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.