I’ve been kind of melancholy – its partially the weather, it’s been overcast every day until at least noon here on the coast, its also because summer is drawing to a close, but I’m certain that most of it has to do with the beginning of school. Moms and dads everywhere are scurrying to complete their back-to-school to-do lists, as am I, but this year it means packing up and moving the Young Baker into a dorm room hundreds of miles away. Even though at home she’s holed up in her room most of the time, she comes out for an occasional hug, she eats dinner with us most evenings, and we see her coming and going with her friends and enjoy hearing bursts of riotous laughter escaping from the upstairs corner room.
But STOP, you’re not here for this! And I hate when I get so sentimental – even if it is the biggest change in my life since the day that tiny baby came screaming into my life – oh wait, that was me screaming 😉 Anyway, I’m going to miss her and this is my good bye to summer and all that this glorious season brings to the table.
Last Friday, I went to the farmers market with one of the fantastic people that I’ve met in the blogosphere. The Ardent Epicure and I share a fanaticism for food and cooking and had fun being the first to select from a flat of late summer zucchini blossoms, marveling over a gorgeous array of heirloom tomatoes, and chatting over lunch on the patio while musing about all the different ways we’ve seen zucchini blossoms on the countless cooking blogs we both visit.
Unbelievably, I have never cooked the blossoms – I always order them when I see them on a menu, but never undertook the task myself – even though there are many summers when I should have picked dozens of blossoms to save myself from trying to dream up yet another way to cook zucchini 😉 Preferring simple preparations, I chose to fry the blossoms in a light batter. Usually, I don’t fry anything, but for years, I’ve had a humorous article from Gourmet magazine clipped inside my summer collection of recipes and I decided to finally use it.
The article, by Kemp Minifie (Gourmet, 2000) said to select male flowers (because they don’t produce a squash) and most chefs insist on removing the stamen but they don’t bother. The blossoms that I bought were obviously female because a tiny zucchini was attached, which I thought would add interest to the dish but, according to the article, Italian and Mexican purists won’t stand for it. So much for purity. The main thing is to clean the blossoms by gently submerging them in cool water and swishing them around AND check for bugs inside the blossom or you might get a little surprise!
- ⅔ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup beer or club soda
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
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Heat 1 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 375°.
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Clean the blossoms by gently submerging them in cool water and swishing them around AND check for bugs inside the blossom or you might get a little surprise! Place on paper towels to absorb the moisture.
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Dip the blossoms in the batter and fry, turning until golden, 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt (if desired).
Shown served with fried goat cheese rounds and a simple puree of red pepper and tomatoes.
There were two reasons why I liked this recipe: 1. it was simple and 2. it was a good excuse to crack a beer – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in this case. This was more than enough for six blossoms, which, served on top of a fresh red pepper and tomato puree along with herbed goat cheese rounds, made for a delightfully light summer supper accompanied by a Silverado Sauvignon Blanc.
Enjoy 🙂
Jason's BBQ Adventures
Sad to see summer disappear! Great recipe to end with, looks marvelous.
Sara
I think it is actually great to be sentimental about these things…this is life an letting a son/daughter go must be the hardest thing to do. I’m glad you treated yourself with this wonderful recipe!
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Lemon Curd Layered Cupcakes =-.
Priscilla
@Sara – Thanks! And one of your lemon curd cupcakes for dessert would have been the perfect finish 🙂
Louise Mellor
You’ll never believe it but I just told my husband the same thing. I am depressed, sad and just feeling overall down. I feel robbed of summer and just not ready for fall. Went to the farmer’s market tonight but just could bring myself to buy anything. I bought a can of organic pumpkin reluctantly… You can guess what my next blog post will sound like. Looking forward to seeing you too.
.-= Louise Mellor´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes =-.
Priscilla
@Louise – I know that you’re baby is going to school for the first time so you’re going thru a similar transition! Again, a lemon cupcake would ease my pain in the short term 😉
Monet
What a lovely tribute to summer and to your daughter. It is evident you put such care and beauty into so many parts of your life (into your cooking, your family) and it is truly inspiring. These squash blossoms look fabulous, and they made me appreciate all the bounty of the summer!
.-= Monet´s last blog ..Edamame Corn Cake =-.
Kim
Forget the zucchini. Just give me those delicious tomatoes at the top of the page. Heehee. Beautiful colors.
And it is truly wonderful to see you so sentimental and loving towards your daughter. Sadly, I never had that kind of relationship with mine and I know I missed out on so much. I can only hope that when I become a mother I provide my child with all the love they deserve and am able to write such a beautiful post to him or her as they fly the nest.
Thank you for a wonderful blog post. I look forward to reading more.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Late summer rain and the city girl =-.
Chef Dennis
OH my precious!!!!! I love those little blossoms, what a fantastic job you have done with these little beauties! I am surely going to miss them…..sigh…..I totally agree with you about the Ardent Epicure! Thanks for brightening my day with those lovelies!
.-= Chef Dennis´s last blog ..Summers Almost Gone- Can We Have a Do Over =-.
Kristen
I may just be the last person on Earth that hasn’t ever tried a fried squash blossom. My squash plants were miserable this year.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..Old Fashioned Blueberry Muffins =-.
RavieNomNoms
I love your post Priscilla, it is sad to see the summer come to an end.I can only imagine how hard it is for Mom’s when their babies go off to school. I know my mom always talked about how she missed me when I left for school every year and having an empty house, but it goes quick! Before we know it summer will be back again. 😉
I do love your recipe though, I have never had friend zucchini blossoms…I think I need to try and make this before the summer is through.
Magic of Spice
Gorgeous dish, and love the shot that you got from the market of the tomatoes 🙂 You know last year my winter squash produced a load of male blossoms, but I did not have the blog them 🙁 If I get any this year I will bring you some 🙂
This is such a sweet post and I know that this is one of those tough times as a Mom, but before you know it the bustle of the Holidays will have that sound coming from the corner room once again 🙂
P.S. Thanks for the mention, hugs.
.-= Magic of Spice´s last blog ..Whats on the Side Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Tomato and Pluot Marinara =-.
Priscilla
Thanks to all of you for your kind words – you make me smile 🙂 *Hugs*
[email protected]
i’m my mother’s only child. it wasn’t that long ago she was completely beside herself taking me to college. having me 10 hours and 800 miles away was just not what she was picturing. i had to pry her hands off of me! two days later i wish i hadn’t. i missed her so much. i’m glad for the experience though. by living apart we became more of friends and less mother daughter fighting over curfews. just be prepped. my mom attempted the curfew when i came back for the holidays. didn’t have one for the last four months, certainly wasn’t planning to start that up again. 🙂 you get through it. its just a big transition for both of you. but it really can make you closer. 🙂
Priscilla
@Jana – Thanks for the advice – I promise I won’t try to reinstate a curfew 🙂 She hasn’t had one for awhile!
the michelin project
Those look great, Priscilla! How did you prepare the red pepper/tomato puree?
Guess I’m more of a winter kind of gal — I welcome cooler weather, hot soups, big plates of pasta, casseroles, and anything that’s comfort food in nature. But I will admit, this was a summer for squash blossoms — seems like I had them on everything from pizza to being fried just like these 😉
.-= the michelin project´s last blog ..Opening week at Seasons 52- Costa Mesa =-.
Missie
I actually made the blossoms last year after raiding Tom’s garden! The recipe was from BA and included stuffing them first with an herbed cheese like Rondele. Really nice! The heat in the northeast is making it easy to say so long to summer. Saying so long to the kids is always bittersweet but this year this mom is going back to school! No time for anything else but will be looking for easy and heart-warning dishes for the winter months while I’m holed up studying!
fooddreamer
My oldest started kindy today, so I have that melancholy too! I’ve never tried zuch blossoms, but this definitely makes me want to have them!
.-= fooddreamer´s last blog ..Sesame Roasted Salmon with Wasabi Mayonnaise =-.
Jeanne
I can’t imagine what it must be like to send your daughter off to college, but it sounds like your relationship with her will remain strong no matter how far away she goes. I’ve never tried cooking zucchini blossoms. I know I’d like these, especially with the Sierra Nevada! 🙂
.-= Jeanne´s last blog ..Peanut Butter Cookies =-.
Priscilla
@Holly – The sauce was a quick saute of cherry tomatoes and one heirloom with garlic, added a roasted red pepper (skinned and finely chopped) then strained the mixture for a smooth sauce.
denise @ quickies on the dinner table
It is sad when our babies leave and it coinciding with the end of summer, is enough to give anyone a case of the blues 🙂
Love the zucchini blossoms, and those gorgeous tomatoes! The beer batter sounds so tempting!
.-= denise @ quickies on the dinner table´s last blog ..Just Pointing in the General Direction =-.
Lindsey (aka modchik)
((hugs)) I can hear that longing for your daughter in every word – and don’t apologize WE LIKE hearing about the real issues among the fried squash blossoms which by the way look so good. I may just got rip mine from the vine and try this week. I really need to blog less and cook more. (sigh)
This weather bites but your recipes brightened my day!
Priscilla
@ Denise – Thanks for visiting and for your kind comment. Glad to see you’re back from your hiatus.
@Lindsey – Aww, thanks. Hey, tell me about it – sometimes I have to pull myself away to go to the market to buy food to cook cuz I have a cooking blog! 🙂
FOODESSA
Usually my Mother-in-law makes these for me. I’ve got to nudge her to try the beer ingredient next time.
Priscilla…all this great cooking and baking will hopefully help with missing your daughter a tiny bit less 😉
Ciao for now,
Claudia
.-= FOODESSA´s last blog ..EGGPLANT cheese RED PEPPER loaf =-.