Beautifully delicate Pumpkin Blossoms, Stuffed with an egg, sage and cheese filling are gently Sautéed, not fried!
Cooking With Blossoms
Just as summer gardens are beginning to come to life, a tiny peek of things to come pops through.
Sometimes I plant pumpkins, zucchini and squash, just for their blossom.
Rarely will you find them at a market here in America since they are so delicate.
So, why not plant at least one squash plant to experience what all of Italy raves over!
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.
The seed goes into the dirt, eventually green emerges and leaves begin to form. Then one morning you go to check on your innocent little zucchini plant, especially after a good rain, and it has managed to snake its way all around your garden!
What happened!!
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!
Then, just when you are sure Jumanji has taken over your garden, these beautiful, bright yellow/orange, rather large blossoms form, peek out from under fuzzy leaves and those my friend, are the delicacy!
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?
Once the flower is stuffed, a gentle sauté in a medium hot pan with either butter or olive oil is all these blossoms need.
They retain their gorgeous color and much of their texture.
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, so many other fillings would work as well.
- Crab, a dollop of mascarpone and a seafood seasoning.
- Caramelized onions and bacon with a little egg.
- Cremini or Shiitake mushrooms.
- Ricotta and fresh garden herbs.
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!
Ingredients Needed
- Blossoms – pumpkin or zucchini
- Egg
- Shallot
- Fresh sage
- Gruyere cheese
- Cream
- Panko bread crumbs
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Butter
Equipment Needed
- Saute pan
- Spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Cheese grater
- Cutting board
- 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.
Video
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.