Fried Squash Blossoms

I've been growing zucchini for several years now and I never really took the time to pay enough attention to determine which flowers were male and which were female. As a result I've missed out on many a fine dish of fried blossoms.

This year I went out and took photos as the buds, and then flowers, were growing and figured it out. Now I'm going to pass on this wealth of info to you - aren't you happy to have found my blog?

The male flowers are attached to longer and thin stems. It's was fairly easy to figure this out once I took into account the fact that none of those stems was sturdy enough to support a growing zucchini. Then I found the zucchini that were growing and not only are the female flowers smaller, they are attached directly to the tip of the growing zucchini, which grow from the base of the plant.

So, there you have it. Leave the girls behind and pick the boys as soon as they open. Rinse them off, make sure there are no bugs inside and remove the stamens. Now they're ready to be used.



I mixed up a bowl of 4 ounces goat cheese with chives and 4 ounces cream cheese along with a tablespoon of snipped chive from the garden. I filled a decorating bag fitted with a large star tip with the goat cheese mixture and then piped it into the blossoms.



I closed up the petals and dipped into a loose batter before frying in a half inch of hot oil for several minutes on each side until golden brown.


Drain well and try to eat just one!