Mar252018
Having grown up in the Mojave Desert where few vegetables grow, I had no idea that squash flowers were a thing. It wasn't until moving to the "green belt" of Reno and living across the street from our most wonderful and amazing Italian neighbors, Don and his wife, Susan. Don was surprised that we didn't know about cooking squash blossems. Loving pumpkins as we do, we had an abundance of pumpkin plants growing in the raised bed of our backyard. We invited Don to come over and harvest the fresh and fleeting flowers in the early mornings. Susann would then create such perfect summer morning breakfasts, she always sending Don over with a plate of perfectly prepared flowers for us to relish. It was such a treat, such a sweet discovery.
A single pumpkin vine produces both male and female flowers. You can tell them apart by the tiny pumpkin baby that forms at the base of the female flowers. Each plant will produce an abundance of flowers -- more than enough for the production of harvested pumpkins. The excess flowers are delicious and can be cooked in many ways.
How to Prepare
It's fun to pick pumpkin (and other types of squash) flowers in the morning, just after they've opened. Remove the flower from its green stem. Some chefs also remove the center stem of the flower before cooking. You can fry them in a small amount of oil or butter. You can batter them or dip them in beaten egg and dry breadcrumbs before frying. They go well in omelet and other egg dishes. They have a light, very delicate taste.
