Squash blossoms are a seasonal delicacy that you absolutely should enjoy. These bright yellow flowers are the male blossoms that grow on various squash plants such as zucchini & summer squash. Every year I love to plant these vegetables in my garden not only for the fruit it bears but these beautiful, edible blossoms.

I decided to use a simple, ricotta filling for this recipe with a whipped egg white batter to allow to blossom to be the star without being weighed down by heavy ingredients.

Fun Fact: did you know zucchini is actually fruit? Not only does it have and come from seeds, it grows on the flowering part of the zucchini plant.

“So why do so many people think a zucchini is a vegetable? Well, in a culinary sense, it is.

When people in the cooking world classify foods as fruits or vegetables, they typically do it based on taste and not science. Since fruits are usually considered sweeter than vegetables, they’re often served in a sweeter context (for example, pies vs. salads).

While some types of squash do have a certain sweetness to them, they also have an earthy flavor that makes them easy to serve in ways you’d serve a vegetable.

That said, zucchini certainly can—and should—be used as a baking ingredient.” - Read more here: myrecipes.com.

Recipe by: The Culinary Nest

MAKES

3-4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

8 squash blossoms, stamen removed from inside. (watch my Reel here to see how!)

Canola or Vegetable oil for frying

Flaky sea salt for garnish

for the filling

6oz. ricotta

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

salt & pepper

for the batter

2 egg whites, whipped until stiff peaks form

METHOD

1. Mix ricotta, parmesan, thyme in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag (cut tip).

2. Carefully pipe the ricotta mixture into the center of the squash blossoms. Carefully turn the ends of the petals back together.

3. Lightly beat egg whites with a hand mixer or whisk in another dish until fluffy and stiff peaks form.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat or a deep fryer.

5. Dip blossoms in egg to coat. Add to the cooking oil, turning once, until golden, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt while hot. Serve immediately!