Market Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Today’s crispy Market Stuffed Squash Blossoms make a fabulous summer snack.
One of my favorite aspects of summer is our local farmer’s markets. I literally get giddy Friday evening thinking of what I might find the next morning.
This week I had the luxury of sneaking out of the house before anyone woke up. Gentle sunlight gleamed down on the white tent tops like a soft kiss. The colorful silhouettes and aromas were a feast for the senses. A perfect mingling of purpose and pleasure.
It’s amazing how you can walk into an almost empty market and 45 minutes later wriggle your way out of a horde of bodies hovering over tables. All are light-hearted and relaxed, no doubt, but still a swarming mass of people. It’s always best to get to the farmers market right before it opens. The first to arrive get the pick of the crop.
A good friend once asked me, “What’s so great about the farmer’s market? It’s just vegetables.”
“Everything!” I emphatically told her.
The produce is picked at dawn on the day of market, so it’s ultra fresh (meaning richer in nutrients and it lasts longer.) Almost everything is organic, and if it’s not, you can ask the grower every detail about their product. Other than veggies, you’ll find fresh local meat and seafood, local dairy and eggs, fruit, homemade baked goods, fresh pasta, soaps, candles, potted plants, homemade blankets and pillows… Many of these items are hard-to-find in stores.
This Saturday, I came home and cooked a marvelous breakfast, then set in on lunch. I found huge squash blossoms for 25 cents each!
The most common preparation for squash blossoms is stuffing them. You can fill squash blossoms with any flavorful concoction you choose, then simply twist the petals together and pan fry them.
I like to dip them first in a thin tempura-like batter, to keep all the filling from working its way out. This week I also found garlic scapes. They sound (and look) odd, but are actually just the stalks of the garlic bulb. Scapes have a milder garlic flavor and can be chopped up like a scallion.
I decided to throw them in the filling, along with local goat cheese, and basil leaves. I served the squash blossoms over a salad of endive-frisee, arugula, and basil leaves, lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.
These Market Stuffed Squash Blossoms were divine.
Squash blossoms are very perishable and usually won’t make it more then 24 hours. If you buy them with a baby squash attached, they last a little longer. Set them in a shallow dish of water, keeping all the petals above the waterline, to keep them open all day. Then cook them either for lunch or dinner of the same day.
Your local farmer’s market is a true culinary adventure, and not to be missed!
Market Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Ingredients
- 10 squash blossoms
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 garlic scapes, chopped (could substitute garlic or scallions)
- 2 tablespoon chopped dried cherries
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
For the Batter:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup seltzer or club soda
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped garlic scapes, and chopped cherries. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the panko and stir for 1-2 minutes until the panko has toasted. Turn the heat off and stir in the goat cheese and basil. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the filling into the squash blossoms and gently twist the petals together to seal.
- Wipe out the skillet with a damp paper towel. Then pour in enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the skillet. Return the heat to medium-high. Mix the flour, white pepper, curry, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the club soda.
- Dip each blossom in the batter. Shake off the drippings and carefully place in the hot oil. Pan-fry for 1-2 minutes per side. I usually turn mine 2-3 times. Remove from the pan the drain on a paper towel. Repeat if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can’t wait to try these!!! For those that can’t get zucchini flowers, I grow pumpkin plants just for the flowers. Yes the plants grow long but even if you don’t have a garden -put it in a big pot with a trellis. Every morning cut the open flowers off leaving the stem (if you cut off a closed flower make sure there are no bees in there). Rinse gently & put in a ziploc bag partially open with a damp paper towel. Don’t cut stem or stamen out until you are ready to use them. I keep them intact if I’m stuffing/frying but I take them off if I’m just frying them. I do this & they will last for a week! Hope this helps you!Â
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One of my all time favorite appetizers!
What a fun appetizer!
I’ve never eaten squash blossoms before; I actually didn’t know you could eat them! These look delicious though, and I would love to try them.
Wow! I am so happy to see the blossoms. This is one of my fav. I am from India and in our ‘Bengali’ cuisine we too have a similar dish with blossoms of squash or pumpkin or zucchini. Instead of stuffing them, we prepare a spicy thin batter and deep fry the blossom. Amazing snack. I am definitely going to try them as per your recipe and will amaze my mother and mother in law both. ??. Thanks for the inspiration. Happy Cooking!!!
Wish Gone Wrong~ Please don't leave dirty comments on my blog again, this is a "family" site!
There is nothing like a fresh market, we go every Saturday morning and that's where 99.99% of our food comes from , we leave with recipes for the ingredients that we bought, the kids are given treats from the vendors its just a great experience. This is one of our fav dishes, except we use ricotta in the stuffing.
Sommer, these were delicious! Just made them last night for some friends and we all thought they were great. I'm thinking of using the leftover stuffing today for stuffing zucchinis and adding some toasted pinenuts to the stuffing. Thought the crunch might be good. Thanks for all your wonderful posts!
Thanks for this recipe. I usually cook squash blossoms simply, like tempura style or part of a vegetable soup. Thanks for a new take on this one. Will surely try it out!
karen
Wow! These are beautiful, Sommer, and the flavors sound incredible. We grow our own squash, but I have just recently learned that I should have been picking and eating the blossoms!
These look so lovely! I have been wanting to get my hands on them as I have seen them appearing in quite a few blogs. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Squash blossoms are such a treat! So summery. I love your market pictures!
This sounds so perfect…I must grab some this weekend:)
May be my squash plants will produce enough blossoms for me to try this recipe.
That looks amazing!! Can't believe we still have been to our usual Sat morning haunts, but we have a new foster placement and weekends have been swamped. Making up for it this weekend … going to hit 4 or 5 markets for sure. Cheers!
We get them by the hundreds but up until now these squash flowers were thrown away; this summer I am determined to get a hold of them and eat them! Your recipe sounds delicious and unusual with the cherries and garlic scapes; they also look so tempting!
There's nothing tastier than stuffed squash blossoms and yours looks so perfect! I wish I had a good farmers market close by too…
Oh, I know that hot and cold rush and the heart going all pitter patter because you scored at the market ROFL. Foodies really are a breed apart *sigh* Neither shoes nor diamonds make me feel THAT good ;)
Gorgeous dish and I totally agree with your husband! I would have loved to have tried this…
I’ve only been to a farmers market once but it was heaps of fun!! The one I went to doesn’t look quite as interesting as yours though- for one thing, I didn’t find any squash blossoms- they’re so pretty! And they look so delicious too- I love fried foods =]
What? They are too pretty to eat! What a creative dish.
I've never seen squash blossoms before…these look awesome stuffed! Glad you were able to enjoy a solo trip to the farmer's market :)
They're so pretty. I had no idea the blossoms had such a short shelf life.
just a great market, ours is about to wind down as its getting too hot for produce around here…..and your stuffing is amazing with the use of the dried cranberries
That looks like fried flowery goodness!!!!
Your zucchini blossoms look perfect and so tasty!
Very nice farmers market! We are pretty lucky here in the mountains of NC. I love your squash blossoms. I hope I see some of them here soon!
Those food markets ! This one looks great.
Unfortunately, blossoms are not available here on markets (and even in Paris it is very, very difficult to get them).
One can find some blossoms in restaurants (I wonder where do they buy them).
Very good recipe, and pictures, too – as always.
Your farmers market looks great, I love the one we have here and totally agree that it inspires creativity and your stuffed squash blossoms prove it!
Man your lucky! We don't have the luxury that I know of a for true local farmers markets. Most that I have attended get their produce from the same place the grocery stores do right off the commercial truck. We always joke that the produce is "fresh right off the truck" I've always wanted to try squash blossoms. Thank you for this recipe.
Giddy?!
That's also how I feel when I get to my local farmer's market!
I've never tried to stuff my blossoms, it sounds good. The dried cherries too…
Thank you for the inspiration
Lovely posts, there is nothing better than farmers markets! and your zucchini blossoms are so fresh, my mom used to make them often, I rarely do, thanks for the reminder and for the beautiful recipe!
lovely farmers market, goat fudge oh how divine..25cents a blossom oh you lucky lucky girl..good deals give me the shakes also and makes my heart flutter..I love the filling cherries and goat cheese…yum
sweetlife
your squash blossoms look incredible…..I missed our market this week, and I am sure they were out, I have been patiently waiting!! this weekend for sure!
Cheers
Dennis
Delicious and gorgeous squash blossoms, and lovely market pics!
This looks like a really need market. You are very lucky. Great find on the squash blossoms!
I can't agree with you more about buying at the farmer's market. I LOVE this use of squash blossoms. It's so creative!
Never seen these in my life, I will keep an eye out – look so good
This looks amazing! what a great idea for a recipe!!!
You have a lovely farmers market! We're not that far away from each other; I'm just down the road in Charlotte. I'll be up your way in September for a blog conference and I can't wait!
I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July holiday. Your squash blossoms look like they were divine!
Nothing compares to shopping at the farmer's market. I always get back home with my bag of goodies and can't wait to get started on cooking up something super fresh and delicious.
Those squash blossoms look incredible!
Love the dried cherries as part of the filling. It must make a sweet blossom.