Squash Blossoms

If you have never tasted squash blossoms before, now is the time!

Did you know that squash (and cucumber) plants have both male and female flowers?  You can tell the difference because the female flowers have a little baby squash at their base and the male flowers do not.  When you eat squash blossoms, you want to pick the male flowers in order to still get some squash. The blossoms are very delicate, so you should use them or refrigerate them (in a closed container) right away.  This also means that you should not wash them, so make sure to pick clean flowers.

There are plenty of different ways to eat these flowers.  You can put them into an omelet or stir fry, or you can make these fritters.  I have made them several different ways, but this time, I made them with cheese, egg, and flour.   It's kind of tricky to get a little slice of cheese into the middle of the flower without ripping it, but it sure tastes good.  That's the first step, then I twisted the tips of the petals together and dipped the whole thing in egg.  After that, roll it in flour and cook your fritters in an oiled pan.

Cook, flipping the fritters over a couple times, until the egg is fully cooked and the fritters are nicely browned.  It's okay if the cheese melts out because then you just have some crispy cheese.