Beautifully delicate Pumpkin Blossoms, Stuffed with an egg, sage and cheese filling are gently Sautéed, not fried!
Sauteed Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms
Delicate, golden pumpkin blossoms (also called squash blossoms or zucchini flowers), are one of summer’s most unique culinary treasures.
Filled with a light, savory stuffing of egg, sage, and Gruyère cheese, then gently sautéed in butter, these blossoms make an elegant appetizer, side dish, or brunch centerpiece.
Unlike the heavy fried versions often found in restaurants, this recipe preserves the blossom’s natural flavor and tender texture.
Cooking With Pumpkin Blossoms
If you’ve ever grown summer squash or pumpkins, you’ve likely seen the large, bright orange-yellow squash flowers that bloom in abundance. Sometimes I plant pumpkins, zucchini and squash, just for their blossom.
These blossoms are one of the most prized ingredients in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, where they are often stuffed and enjoyed as a seasonal delicacy.
Here in America, you’ll rarely find them at a supermarket because they are short-lived and delicate.
The best way to enjoy them? Grow your own pumpkin, zucchini, or summer squash plant, plant at least one squash plant to experience what all of Italy raves over!
You’ll be rewarded with blossoms that transform everyday meals into something extraordinary.
Who Eats Flower Blossoms!
Flowers are nature’s perfect artwork, there’s nothing more beautiful than a splash of color across our yard.
A vase of flowers on a tabletop, table settings for a special occasion decked in flowers. But who eats them?
Flowers, in many ways, are just veggies or the essence of a fruit before the fruit is developed.
At least, that’s the way it has become in my kitchen. As pretty as flower blossoms are, if I can’t cook with them, I don’t grow them.
Consequently, I now have a huge repertoire of edible flowers growing in my gardens, pots and hanging baskets.
Growing Pumpkins and Squash For The Blossoms
Growing at least one plant in a corner of your garden is certainly worth the experience, at least once.
Plant a single zucchini or pumpkin seed, and before you know it, you’ll have a sprawling vine climbing through your garden.
After a good rain, the plant seems to grow overnight, and then suddenly, nestled among the fuzzy, prickly leaves, you’ll spot the true treasure: bright yellow-orange blossoms ready to pick.
Fortunately, the deer don’t bother the leaves since they quickly become prickly and fuzzy.
However, there are many other critters that love the blossoms, once they appear. For those guys, I have created a natural repellent that works like a charm!
Blossoms Sautéed Not Fried
I can’t for the life of me understand why most chefs, even the famous ones, drown these delicate blossoms in goopy batter and toss them in boiling hot oil to kill/fry the luscious and delicate texture out of the blossom!
Why? Why chefs, do you do this? Sautéing allows the flavor, color, and texture of the blossoms to shine. A quick sear in butter or olive oil brings out their natural sweetness and turns them into a luxurious dish without the heaviness of frying.
What To Stuff In Blossoms
While my recipe for a simple egg and cheese recipe beautifully compliments the blossoms, without distracting from its flavor and texture, the filling possibilities are endless, but the key is to keep it light so the blossom remains the star.
Here are a few favorite stiffed blossom filling ideas:
- Crab with mascarpone for a luxurious seafood version.
- Caramelized onions and bacon with a little egg, smoky, sweet and rich.
- Wild mushrooms and herbs, or Shiitake mushrooms for a earthy and garden-fresh experience.
- Ricotta and fresh garden herbs, a classic Italian pairing.
Sage Stuffed Into Pumpkin Blossoms
While Mediterranean cooking has so many varied spices and flavors to cook with, none are quite as simple and luxurious as brown butter and sage.
The exotic aroma and flavor of sage has become an ingredient in many of my recipes, and so I now grow it so it is always there when I want it.
- Sage Chestnut Sauce – one of the most vintage Italian sauces, with chestnuts, pancetta, garlic and white wine, so move over tomato sauce!
- Sage Lemon Tea Cakes – made with fresh sage, lemon rinds, lots of olive oil, spelt and oat flour, is as healthy as an afternoon tea cake gets!
- Stress Relief Sage Rolls – are all about the powerful healing aroma of sage, bundled into the ultimate comfort food; bread.
- And of course Turkey Stuffing wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without sage!
A sauteed pumpkin blossom in brown butter, stuffed with a lightly whisked egg, sage and nutmeg, is nothing short of beautiful flavors.
Sage
Since sage is a hearty leaf, I find the best way to prepare the leaf to cook with is with a chiffonade chop, that releases the most flavor and leaves ribbons of leaves for both cooking and garnishing.
When To Serve Blossoms?
While a lovely brunch or luncheon would be ideal for serving stuffed blossoms, they would certainly be the center of attention on any Tapas spread.
Can you imagine the bright-eyes and squeals at a Bridal shower if these lovely blossoms were served!
Be certain to go out of your way at least once in your lifetime to obtain and prepare stuffed squash blossoms. You will be so happy you did!
Why You Should Try This Recipe
Cooking with blossoms may feel adventurous, but it’s a rewarding way to connect your garden to your table.
These sautéed stuffed pumpkin blossoms are elegant yet simple, bursting with flavor while letting the natural delicacy of the flower shine.
Whether you grow them yourself or find them at a farmer’s market, treat yourself at least once, you’ll never forget the experience.
Ingredients Needed
- Blossoms – pumpkin or zucchini
- Eggs, either chicken or duck eggs
- Shallots for a light onion and garlic flavor
- Fresh sage, finely chopped to release their oils and aromas
- Gruyere cheese is a lovely choice of cheese for these stuffed blossoms as it is delicate in flavor, and offers just the right amount of melted cheese experience
- Cream to deepen the richness of the eggs
- Panko bread crumbs offer just a little texture and act as a binding agent for the egg mixture
- Salt to taste
- Nutmeg is always delicious with an egg and cheese combination
- Butter, unsalted for lightly sauteing the blossoms
Equipment Needed
- Saute pan with a lid, a nonstick ceramic frying pan is ideal
- Spatula to lightly move the blossoms and turn while in the pan, so as not to damage them
- Mixing bowl to whisk the egg mixture
- Measuring spoons if you prefer exact measurements
- Whisk or hand mixer to whisk the eggs into a light and fluffy mixture
- Cheese grater or box grater for fine pieces of the cheese
- Cutting board and chopping knife
- Stovetop or burner
Sauteed Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms
Equipment
- Saute pan
- Scissors
Ingredients
- 4 Pumpkin Blossoms cleaned with stigmas/pistol removed
- 2 Eggs lighted whipped
- 1 tbsp Shallot finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Fresh sage finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Gruyere cheese grated
- 1 tbsp Cream
- 2 tbsp Panko crumbs
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tbsp Butter to saute
Instructions
- Gently prepare blossoms by removing the stigmas located deep in the center of the blossom. Set aside while preparing the filling.
- Whisk together the eggs, shallots, sage, cheese, cream, Panko crumbs, salt and nutmeg. With a small spoon, gently spoon the filling inside of the prepared blossoms. Carefully take the tops of each petal and gather them together and give a twist to close the tops.
- Place butter in a medium hot saute pan. When the butter starts to brown, gently place flowers in the pan. Just a minute or two on one side, then turn them over and put a lid on to cook the center for another minute. Remove the lid. Once you see a crust begin to form, they are done.
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Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.