What’s at the Farmer’s Market? Squash Blossoms

(Photo courtesy of travelingmcmahans @ flickr, used under the Creative Commons license.)

And then there are squash blossoms.

I know, I know: blossoms?

It sounds like a fancy way of faying "edible flowers" -- a concept from which people still cringe, unless you're eating either at an expensive restaurant (in which case you swallow the price, if not the flower) or at someone's home. Either way, the reaction is to pop, chew and swallow, usually in quick succession.

But for me, squash blossoms are one of the finest gustatory gifts of summer.

I suspect this will come to many people as a surprise, much as it did to me a few years ago. I was at my parents' house in New York, gathering squash from my family's garden. When we brought them back to the kitchen, I remember my friend saying, "Why don't we eat the blossoms?"

I stopped and, in my pause, mediated between disbelief and disinterest. I was not sold. But after a few scoops of flower, egg and a dusting of grey salt, I had become a devotee.

You don't have to have a garden to enjoy them. Last weekend, I was walking around my local farmer's market and found them for sale in clear plastic take out containers, 4 flowers for a buck. They should be there this weekend, too. If you're interested, I'd urge you to try them now, as the season for them is short -- too short, at least, for my appetite.

Before you dive in, I have a few suggestions:

1. Always check for bees. (No joke.) Despite sharply declining bee populations, I've opened up more than a few blossoms to find a bee trapped inside.

2. Cheese. Cheese here, as in many recipes, is key. Recipes often suggest you use a soft cheese, like a mozzarella, a goat cheese or a cream cheese. All of these are work well (with exception to the latter), but I've found that a slighter harder cheese with more flavor is even better. It will melt, so don't worry about that.

3. Go with good salt. If you have a large grain sea salt, or even a grey salt around, go with that. Even kosher will work. The texture, and flavor, tops it all off.

Ingredients:

1. Squash blossoms.
2. Egg
3. Flower. Preferably a finely textured corn flower, but any will do.
4. Cheese. Your choice.
5. Fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, whatever you have.
6. Vegetable oil.
7. Salt, preferably sea or grey salt, or kosher.

1. Open the squash blossoms. This can be tricky, as they are delicate. Check for bees. Once clear, insert small bits of cheese, and sprinkle a judicious dose of herbs on the cheese. Then close them by twisting the top of the blossom together so it fits snugly.

2. Beat the egg until frothy in one bowl. Lay out the flower in another.

3. Heat a dose of vegetable oil in a cast iron pan over low heat -- emphasis on the low heat. You want just enough oil to cover the pan and collect at the edges.

4. Roll each of the blossoms in the egg, and then flower, coating thoroughly. And then place immediately into the pan. The best cooking spot will be around the edges of the pan, where the heat radiates, but is not direct.

5. Flip the blossoms when a deep golden brown. Wait until both sides are evenly browned.

6. Lay out on plate covered in a paper towel to cool slightly. Sprinkle with salt.

7. Eat while still warm.

And then, if this is a summer weekend, take a nap.