squash blossom wings

last weekend while I was working at the farmers market (see entry below) I had a chance to walk around and fill up my bag with some fun summer treats. free farmed eggs, garlic scapes, green beans, walla walla onions….all delicious and fresh from the earth. but the crowned jewel was something I had never before used – squash blossoms. I had eaten them out but had never purchased them myself, so I decided to give it a try. turns out they’re extremely fun & easy to work with, with the added pleasure of being a scrumptious summer treat. they won’t be around much longer so make sure you try them out soon – and try to use them as soon as possible after buying or picking them.

this is just a very simple recipe I threw together the other night. play around with them though - you can slice them thinly and throw them into a salad raw, sauté them, or bake them stuffed.

** VEGAN option: try a white bean puree, caramelized onions & fresh herbs. use a beer batter instead of the eggs & breadcrumbs. my friend Melissa & I made these together this week also and they were absolutely delicious.

Squash Blossom Wings
12 squash blossoms
¾ cup herbed goat cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped thai basil
1 egg
1 cup fine breadcrumbs*
a pinch of cayenne
½ cup coconut oil
sea salt

1. Wash squash blossoms and open up one side completely. If the stamen is big you can pick that out. Keep ½” of the stem on for the “wings” effect.
2. Mix together goat cheese and basil for filling. Using a small spoon, place a dollop of the filling in the center of the blossom, close up and twist the top so it’s sealed.

3. Beat egg and put in shallow bowl for dipping. Mix breadcrumbs & cayenne (and any extra seasoning you want to add) and put in a shallow bowl.

4. Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan until hot – test this by dropping in a bit of the breadcrumb, if it sizzles immediately it’s ready. Dip squash blossoms in egg, coat with breadcrumbs, and place in oil. Allow to brown 2 minutes on one side, flip and cook 2 minutes on other side. Move to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt immediately.

5.  Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice and a fresh salad for a great summer meal.

*instead of throwing out stale bread, make your own breadcrumbs: bake it at 400 degrees until it’s completely dried out and throw it in the food processor. pulse until it gets to the desired consistency & add salt to taste.