Tomato- and Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms

04. September 2008 Vegetables + Salads 0

I’ve stuffed goat cheese in squash blossoms before but we want to be more creative and adventurous with our Supper with Strangers. When Cameron and I sit down (and drink) to plan our monthly menu, we immediately think of the more well known dishes and try to cross them off our list. When we came up with August’s tomato theme, I begged that please, please, no caprese salad.

We could have saved squash blossoms for autumn but a light, almost foamy texture with a thin crisp of a vegetable flower, was just perfect to start off a summer meal. I tried this recipe the only way I know how: coating the blossoms with flour before frying. But the flour only weighed down the delicate blossoms so I ended up skipping the batter. One of those Asian strainer ladles is useful to fry them quickly and remove them from the hot oil.

Ingredients:
12 fresh squash blossoms, stamens removed
5 tbsps ricotta
1 heirloom yellow or orange tomato, pulped removed and set aside, diced
juice from a small lemon
oil, salt, pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine ricotta and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Gently stuff the squash blossoms by spooning half a dollop of the ricotta-tomato mixture inside. Do not overstuff. Lightly twist the blossom ends to shut close.
3. When ready to fry, heat some oil in a deep skillet. Before the oil starts to smoke, Fry up to 3 blossoms at a time using a strainer ladle. Try to swish the pot so that the entire blossom gets some of the hot oil. When they start to brown, remove to a stainless steel colander. They will sweat and lose crispiness if you put them on paper towel right away. When cool enough to handle, then you can transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel until ready to serve.
4. Serve with some of the tomato pulp and season with salt, pepper and a squirt of lemon juice.