Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

​I love squash blossoms—their gorgeous orange-yellow colour, their wide mouths, their sensuality, their delicious flavour… and this is one of my favourite ways to prepare them. Only the female blossoms develop into zucchini, so the male blossoms can be harvested and eaten. I usually pick them late morning when they are just starting to close and you can still see down their throats to identify their sex. When you pick them, leave some of the stem attached and place them in a glass of water until you’re ready to cook them.

You can tell the sex of the flower a couple of different ways.  The same plant will produce both male and female blossoms with the males having stamen that produce the pollen necessary to fertilize the ovum of the female and produce fruit (zucchini). (This is another reason why I pick them late morning – to give the bees a chance to visit, although I have been known to provide reproductive assistance with a Q-tip, especially this year when I’ve had very few female blossoms.) The females have carpels and a visible bulbous growth at the base of the flower (the ovary) that becomes the fruit after pollination. You can harvest and eat the female blossoms as well; I usually just leave them to grow squash. See the images at the end of the post for more details.
 
While I like to stuff my squash blossoms before cooking, you can also just batter and deep fry them for a crispy, delicious bite.​

Zucchini Blossoms
stuffed with goat cheese, basil and pine nuts

8-10 zucchini blossoms
olive oil for frying

Batter ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
pinch salt
dash cayenne (optional)
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp milk
 
Filling:
1/3 cup goat cheese
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional)
1 tbsp ish fresh basil, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Remove stamens from zucchini blossoms (I find this easier to do when the flower is open, so do it right away when you pick them.)  Carefully rinse and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
2. Prepare the batter by mixing together the flour, salt and cayenne if using.  Add the water and milk and mix with a whisk or fork until well combined, adding more water if needed to make a thick batter.  Continue to whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand while you make the filling.
3. Combine goat cheese, pine nuts, basil and pepper and mix together.  Filling ingredients can vary with whatever you have on hand, try ricotta and lemon, or switch up fresh oregano for the basil.
4. Gently open the petals of the blossoms and stuff with filling. It’s okay if they tear a bit – the batter will seal them up again.
5. Add olive oil to a medium/small frying pan so that it completely covers the bottom. Heat over medium-high heat, testing with a small drip of batter until it is sizzling hot, but not scorching.
6. Using the stem as a handle, dip each blossom in the batter, swirling to coat. Place in the hot oil and cook about 2 minutes each side until golden and crispy.  Remove from pan and drain.
7. Serve hot with a glass of white wine or Prosecco!

A female squash blossom - note the carpels.

A female blossom with the bulbous growth (ovum) at the base.

A male squash blossom.