Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Wow, has it really been almost a month since I posted? I know, as Metromix producer Janet Nguyen told me recently, I've been a really bad blogger. Worse yet, I haven't even been cooking much in the past month. June has been a blur for me. It was an extremely busy month at work and I got pretty burned out on cooking after all the work I put into the rib burnoff (which I didn't win but more importantly we raised lots of money). Fortunately, things have calmed down a little at work and I am finding some motivation in the kitchen.

I went to the Crocker Park Farmer's Market this past Saturday for the first time since May and saw some beautiful squash blossoms for sale.

Fresh squash blossoms 

I had never eaten squash blossoms but I heard they were pretty good. They weren't cheap at $5 for 5 blossoms, but we were having some people over for dinner on Sunday so I thought I'd pick some up for everyone to try. I also noticed a new (to me) vendor, The Ornery Goat, selling goat's milk & cheese at the Crocker Farmers Market. They were sampling feta, four different types of chevre (chive & onion, chipotle, garlic dill, and plain), and fresh goats milk. I tasted them all and decided on the chipotle and chive & onion. The goat milk was also very interesting. It was very rich (like whole milk) and had a slight tang to it. It is definitely worth checking out next time you are at the market.

 The assembly line

I decided to stuff the squash blossoms with goat cheese, coat them in flour, and deep fry them. The flowers were a little delicate but I was able to successfully fill each of the blossoms with cheese and twist the petals together to seal them up.

Battered squash blossoms waiting to go in the fryer

Next, I dipped them in egg and then tossed them in flour until they were coated. I put a pot with an inch or two of canola oil over medium heat. To test when the oil was hot enough, I dropped a little flour in and it fried the flour without burning it so in went the squash blossoms. I didn't have enough oil to cover them completely so after a minute or so I flipped each blossom over to cook the other side. After both sides looked nice and crispy, I removed each blossom.

Fried squash blossom stuffed with Ornery Goat Chevre

The squash blossoms turned out pretty good. The goat cheese paired perfectly with the delicate squash taste of the blossom. I especially liked the chipotle chevre as it gave a little heat to the dish. If I had it to do over again, I probably would experiment with a batter rather than just the egg / flour coating. I forgot to season the flour so the crispy exterior was on the bland side. 

If you like to try new foods or are looking for something unique to serve at a party this summer, stuffed, fried squash blossoms are sure to make your be a hit and make for great conversation too.

Have you ever tried squash blossoms? What is your favorite recipe?