I could lie to you. I could tell you that I am a huge squash blossom fan, that I wait for them to come in season in year, and prepare these delicacies and savor each bite. But the truth is this was the first time I prepared these at home. This was the first time I ran up to a vendor with squash blossoms and left with handfuls, feeling like such a seasonal, localvore, determined to experience what I am constantly reading and hearing about, at home. We found an abundance of these at the Old Town Alexandria's farmer's market - the best farmer's market in the area, in my opinion. They had gooseberries, people. Gooseberries! My grandmother used to make the most incredible gooseberry jam. When I think of my grandmother, her gooseberry jam always enters my mind.
I highly recommend picking up some squash blossoms at your local market, while they are in season. You should probably prepare them the day you pick them up. I decided to stuff them and fry them, as is a common preparation and one that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think goat cheese would have been lovely, I had cream cheese, so I used that. I also had some fresh pesto, and I knew the herb and garlic flavors would be appreciated. I tossed them in cornmeal, but I think regular flour or a tempura batter would also work well. These were even more delightful than we had expected. They were light and crunchy and have not a floral flavor, but a really mellow summer squash taste. They taste as though you are taking a deep breath of an overgrown vegetable garden. And of course the cheese and whole frying thing makes them feel southern and comforting.
If you're looking for another seasonal vegetable treat, try these fried, green tomatoes I made last year.
Squash Blossoms stuffed with pesto cream cheese
12 squash blossoms
2 T cream cheese
1 T pesto
1 egg
1 T milk
1/2 c corn meal
oil for frying
Beat egg and milk in a bowl. Toss some salt and pepper with corn meal in a small, shallow prep dish. Mix together pesto and cheese. Heat a shallow amount of oil in a fry pan or dutch oven. Gently open up each squash blossom and fill with a small spoon of cheese mixture. Twist blossom closed. Dip each blossom in egg, then toss in cornmeal and let rest on a plate. Fry up each blossom for 15 seconds on each side, let rest on paper towel lined plate. Note: I think our squash blossoms could have been stuffed with even more cheese, so mix up more and be generous.
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