Squash Blossoms

Have you ever eaten a squash blossom? I had never tasted or even seen this beautiful edible flower until visiting the Hollywood Farmers Market a couple weeks ago. I was instantly drawn to these beauties. The vendor explained to me that they are often prepared by being stuffed with cheese and fried. Although this sounds WONDERFUL, alas, I am currently not including any dairy in my diet. I didn't buy any blossoms that day but I did not forget about them.

With a little interested research, I discovered that there are male and female blossoms of both winter and summer squash varieties. The male blossoms appear at the end of a thin stem and in food preparation, you must remove the stamens first from the blossoms. The female blossoms form at the end of the buds that grow into the squash and are often harvested with the tiny, baby squash still attached. Squash blossoms are extremely perishable and once harvested, only have a shelf life of a couple days (if you are lucky.)

So, lo and behold, I saw a squash blossom salad on Animal's menu shortly thereafter. It was scrumptious and I knew I must go back to the Hollywood Farmers' Market asap to purchase some and throw them in my next non-dairy meal. Suddenly all the stars aligned when I went last weekend and they were available (the male, summer variety) and the vendor suggested I throw them in my eggs. So I took her advice and included them in a veggie scramble I had for dinner last week. They truly were wonderful and so pretty. I recommend you do not miss an opportunity to try these delicately tasty flowers.