Basketful of Blossoms

Last week I mentioned how much I love my new trusty yellow bike, which I've taken to calling, Schwinny (I've never claimed to be clever). Today I did something I've been meaning to do since summer first began; go to a farmer's market. Living in Seattle, farmer's markets are a must. They are everywhere! And lovely! I can't believe it's taken me so long to get to one here in Chicago. A friend recommended the Green City Farmer's Market right in Lincoln Park, just past the zoo. So today was the perfect day to hop on Schwinny and get to know my city better.

Today was the absolute perfect day for a bike ride, the sun was out and not too hot, with a light breeze to help you cool down. The market was perfect, plump tomatoes, ripe peaches, and corn corn corn as far as the eye can see. I loved the atmosphere, the samples, and feeling of community in an enormous city. I went there not knowing what I wanted, I just thought I'd let nature take it's course. When I spotted these beauties I knew what I would be eating this afternoon...

I got some other tasty treats today that I can't wait to eat..

Squash blossoms can be found on the ends of many varieties of squash but the one most commonly eaten are from zucchinis. They are very delicate and should be eaten within a day or two of harvest.  I've only ever heard of one way of eating squash blossoms; stuffing and pan frying. I decided to try it both raw and fried, I hated to waste all 6 of my blossoms by dunking them in hot grease- of course that would taste good! I wanted to showcase the flavor of these delicate flowers by tasting them in their natural state. I've had anchovies and capers on my mind recently, please refer to the pizza I ate in Manhattan for the source of my obsession. I knew these two ingredients must be present in this dish. I also had a leftover lemon and some creme fraiche which made my mouth water immediately just thinking about it all mixed together. After making this I decided it would also make an excellent salad dressing or dip, luckily I still have some left over which I've slathered on pizza... yummy.

The man at the farmer's market told me to be sure I picked the pistil out of the center and wipe it off with a damp cloth before cooking. After I saw some ants roaming around I made sure I cleaned them thoroughly and began the arduous task of filling them with creme fraiche goodness. I think the easiest way is simply to fill a plastic zip-lock bag with the filling, cut off a corner, and pipe it into the hollow center of the blossom. But I don't have any clean plastic baggies lying around, so I did my best to shovel it in with a spoon which wasn't easy or pretty.

Next, I made a batter of flour and water using nothing but consistency as a measurement and dunked three blossoms into the batter and left 3 untouched, simply drizzling olive oil and salt over the top. When my oil was nice and hot I seared the 3 remaining blossoms for about 3 minutes on each side, until they looked nice and brown and crispy.

Best of both worlds. Raw and fried squash blossoms. 

 The blossoms are delicious, fried or raw. The zucchini stem of the raw blossom wasn't as pleasant as the cooked version, but I guess I expected that. Overall this is a dish to try simply because if you come across squash blossoms you can't resist their beauty and this is a beautiful way to consume them. Happy days and happy eating!


Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Enough filling to stuff 6 blossoms

Filling
4 oz. creme fraiche
3 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoons capers
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mince anchovy and capers, add to creme fraiche along with lemon zest and juice. Set aside.

Carefully wipe blossoms with a damp towel and carefully open blossoms to remove the pistil from inside. Pipe or spoon anchovy filling into blossoms and twist the ends to close.

To serve raw, drizzle with olive oil and salt.

To fry, heat skillet with vegetable or canola oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup water for batter. Add water until it reaches a thick batter consistency. Coat blossoms with batter and fry in the hot oil for 3 minutes on each side or until the blossoms are golden and crispy. Serve immediately.