Confessions of a Flower Eater

As a kid I always enjoyed the beautiful flowers of the farm garden. This wonderful scene had a dark side, though: the vegetable underworld.

In addition to the ruby strawberries, there was the creeping mass of lima beans, overgrown squashes and green beans with seeds the size of horse pills. The bounty of the garden also meant the bounty of vegetables that all kids hate--sometimes even into adulthood.

I finally realized the direct connection between the flower and the vegetable. Maybe the nightmares of being chased through the fields by lima beans made me do it, but at the next scheduled weeding of the garden I removed those unwanted lima bean flowers. And how about those zucchini that grew to the size of a tanker truck before anyone picked them? Surely, I figured, we could live without squash in every dish we ate.

It was tough trying to disguise, bury and even eat some of the flowers to get rid of them, but I didn’t get caught. I thought the results of my crop-thinning were terrific, and my father could never figure out why certain crops had such a small harvest.

Things have changed--but not that much. I still hate lima beans and I love eating squash blossoms.

The squash family has the most beautiful and substantial flowers of the garden. Both the summer and winter squash blossoms are edible. They have a tender texture and a delicate flavor and their large size is perfect for stuffing.

If you have your own garden, allow the flowers to fully develop but collect them before they open. Pick the male flowers (those with the narrow stems), allowing the females (those with the base resembling a small squash) to develop into a vegetable. Leave a few male flowers to fertilize the crop and thin the harvest by picking some of the females.

To clean, wash the blossom under trickling cold water. Spread one petal open (only one) just far enough to check for bees and bugs that may have lost their way. Remove the stamens, the upright filaments of the flower, if slimy. Trim the stem about an inch below the base of the flower. Pat dry with paper towels.

The blossoms quickly deteriorate and become cottony in texture, so if you’re buying in the store rather than gathering your own crop, shop carefully. Select bright, firm blossoms, avoiding wilted and brown-edged flowers, just as you would with any flower. The stems should be moist, not shriveled and dry. Always keep squash blossoms refrigerated until ready to use.

The blossoms are best sauteed or fried, which crisps their texture. Moist-heat cooking methods wilt the blossom. The delicate flavor is neutral and is best when reinforced with bright summer flavors such as tomatoes, capers, mustard, olives, citrus and vinaigrettes.

The blossom is also easily cut to add raw or cooked to a favorite soup, salad or pasta as a flavorful garnish. Handle the blossom as you would an herb, adding it to a cooked dish at the last second to preserve the delicate flavor and bright color.

SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH PEPPER AND CORN

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, roasted and minced

1 small sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

1 small poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup white wine

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

20 squash blossoms, each about 3 inches long

Corn or canola oil for frying

2 cups Tempura Batter

Hot pepper sauce

1 cup Roast Pepper Vinaigrette

Sprigs fresh herbs

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add corn and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, poblano chile and white wine. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in basil.

Working with 1 squash blossom at time, carefully peel back 1 petal for filling. Stuff 1 generous tablespoon of pepper mixture into blossom, then fold petal back over stuffing. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Fill large, heavy, deep skillet with corn oil to 3-inch depth. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.

Dip blossoms in Tempura Batter, then remove to rack set over baking sheet, allowing excess batter to drip off. Lower blossoms into hot oil and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange blossoms in center of serving plates and spoon over Roast Pepper Vinaigrette. Garnish with herbs and serve. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Note: Blossoms may also be sauteed instead of fried. Tempura mix, available in Asian markets, may be substituted for Tempura Batter. Prepare according to package directions in medium bowl and season to taste with salt and hot pepper sauce before dipping blossoms.

Tempura Batter

1 large egg yolk

2 cups ice-cold water

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 2/3 cups sifted flour

Combine egg yolk with ice-cold water and baking soda in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in flour. Batter should be thick enough just to coat squash blossoms. Makes 4 servings.

Roast Pepper Vinaigrette

1 sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt

1 cup virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine red pepper, balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in blender. Puree until smooth. Gradually add olive oil, processing until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.