Spring is here! That means flowers are blooming – some of which are edible.
In my hometown there is an outdoor Saturday farmers’ market from March – November. Due to high demand, in the middle of summer there is also a Tuesday market. Today was the first day of the Tuesday market, I had to visit!
Squash blossoms almost immediately caught my attention. I’ve heard of squash blossoms, I’ve seen squash blossoms… but I’ve never had them! I also realized soon after buying them that flowers are best had the same day as they’re picked – so this recipe ended up being thrown together in a last minute rush. I’m very proud that I pulled it off!
As I’m typing this, my boyfriend says “say that Eoban gives it 5 stars. Out of 5, not like 25″. So there you go folks – Eoban stamp of approval!
Ingredients Note
Squash blossoms are usually just for sale at farmers’ markets – sorry if there isn’t one near you. If you have your own garden be sure to pick them. I’ve never grown squash so I can’t lend picking advice, but Google can. The female blossoms have tiny little squashes attached! I sautéed them to serve as a side.
I filled these with cashew cream, but really you can fill them with anything your heart desires. This dish is traditionally served with ricotta or mozzarella cheese. I know I bring up The Gentle Chef a lot, but if you want to make your own ricotta or mozzarella cheeses that melt and are delicious, I highly recommend the non-dairy book
Cashews can get kind of pricey. I found that buying “raw cashew pieces” from the bulk bins gets me the best price. And the upside of buying from bulk bins is you can control the price by just getting the amount you want or need.
Technique Note
The longer you soak the cashews, the creamier they’ll be. I ended up only soaking for an hour because I threw this together so quickly – overnight is ideal.
When rinsing the blossoms, be sure to check for bugs – I found a dead bee in one of mine! You can also take out the pistil (the thingy on the inside) but it’s not necessary.
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People
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- 1/2 cup cashews raw, soaked
- 1/8 cup soy milk or other unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil refined
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- t tbsp nutritional yeast
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
Batter
Squash
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- Prepare cashew cream by blending soaked cashews, soy milk, melted coconut oil, chipotle powder, salt, and nutritional yeast.
- Prepare batter by mixing flour, water, salt, and nutritional yeast.
- Rinse your squash blossoms, be careful to check for bugs. If there are stems, remove them. Removing the pistils in the center is optional.
- Stuff each flower with about 1 tablespoon of cream. If you have an icing piper this is extra easy. I used a 1/2 tsp sized measuring spoon to get to the bottom of the flower.
- Get a small amount of refined coconut oil (or any oil you'd like) hot in a skillet.
- Dip each blossom into the batter and place in the hot oil. Turn them over when the bottoms become browned. Remove from skillet when the other side is browned.
- If your squash blossoms came with small squashes attached (the female ones do), then chop them and throw then in the skillet while it's still hot.
- I served with sriracha!