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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 14, 20004 The Kitchen Coach Eat your zucchini blossoms Rebecca Wood If your zucchini plants are churning out more squash than you could possibly eat, here's an easy solution: Eat the blossoms. These sunny orange blooms are mildly flavored and limp as silk. While all Cucurbita, or gourd family, flowers are edible, it's the large squash blossoms with a respected culinary history in both Native American and European cuisine. Squash blossoms are tasty when stuffed with savory morsels and saut�ed, baked or batter coated and deep fried. Or, slice and liberally strew them in a salad or as a garnish for their spectacular golden color. Does harvesting squash blossoms mean an end to the fruit? Nope, we can both have our blossoms and control the number of zucchini, too. Squash flowers are either male or female. When gathering their blossoms, pick only some male flowers, leaving a few on each plant for a bee or bug to climb into, get pollen besmeared, and then spread the stuff to a neighboring female. Leave on the plant only as many female blossoms as you wish to mature. How to tell the boys from the girls? It's easy. The male blossoms are narrow-stemmed, while the female blossoms attach to the stem with a large bulge that is, in fact, the nascent squash. You may find squash blossoms in growers' or specialty markets in late summer and early fall. Select fresh blossoms with closed buds. Their cost per-pound is high, but don't let that put you off, as a dozen blossoms weigh only an ounce or two. If the blossoms are more than a few hours old, pinch out and remove the central stamen because it becomes slimy. Summer squash - be it zucchini, crock neck, yellow or patty pan - are a welcome summer vegetable up to the first frost. Tender fleshed and brightly colored, they are charmingly flavorful when small and garden fresh. Their flavor rapidly diminishes as their size and/or time past harvest increases. Mentally compare the bland flavor of an out-of-season zucchini to its bright taste when garden fresh. I feast on zucchini and their blossoms in the summer, and in cold seasons I enjoy winter squash when it's at its peak. Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Sun Dried Tomatoes Squash blossoms as a garnish add mostly eye appeal however stuffed and lightly pan fried they are surprisingly flavorful and have a pleasant, moist texture. I use a chopped tortilla to absorb the rich juices of the mushrooms and lend a meaty texture; however, you may substitute bread crumbs or a cooked grain like rice or quinoa. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 2 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped 1 finely chopped tortilla (or 1/2 cup bread crumbs or cooked quinoa or rice) 1 cup chopped cilantro Sea salt and pepper to taste 16 squash blossoms Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saut� pan, add and lightly saut� the coriander, turmeric and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add and saut� the mushrooms for 3 to 5 minute or until they soften. Add and saut� the tomatoes and tortilla for 3 minutes or until warmed through. Add cilantro and salt and pepper and cook an additional minute. Allow filling to cool until warm. Loosely stuff each squash blossom with the filling. Twist the petals closed to contain the filling. Heat remaining oil in a saut� pan. Add the stuffed blossoms and lightly fry, gently turning once or twice as desired. Serve hot or cold as an appetizer or as side dish. Makes 16. Local author Rebecca Wood is a Personal Chef and offers individual Kitchen Coaching. Her book, "The Splendid Grain," won both Julia Child and James Beard Cookbook awards. You may reach Rebecca or visit her many recipes and articles, at www.rwood.com. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams