Trends be damned—few gastronomical experiences can match the repeated delight I feel when I find a flower on my plate. My fascination with edible flowers can be traced back to the family garden of my childhood. Among the dahlia tubers and spiked hen-and-chicks that carpeted our backyard, my mom sewed nasturtium seeds. Throughout the summer months, we added their peppery orange and red blossoms to our dinnertime salads with abandon, and I've never stopped seeking out ways to add a petal or two of something delicious to my food. Right now, that means buying a bundle of vibrant squash blossoms from my favorite booth at the farmers market and gently carrying them home so I can stuff them with all manner of goodness and fry them in a light-as-air tempura batter. It's a treat I look forward to all winter long.
Ingredients
1 dozen squash blossoms
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup potato starch, plus more
1 cup cold seltzer
1 egg
1 cup ricotta
1 tsp Calabrian chili paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 cup castelvetrano olives, sliced
fresh-cracked pepper
vegetable oil
Directions
To prep the squash, gently reach inside the petals and pull out the fuzzy stamens.
Put together the filing by combining the ricotta, Calabrian chili paste, salt, parsley, olives and pepper and mixing until evenly combined. Add the filling to a Ziplock or pastry bag and snip 1/2" off the corner.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, make the batter by mixing together the flour, potato starch, cold seltzer and egg. Mix until just barely combined—some small lumps are okay.
Working three or four at a time, fill the squash blossoms with a generous tablespoon of filling. Gently pinch the ends of the blossoms together, then lightly roll them in potato starch. Gently shake off any excess, then dip the blossoms in the batter and add directly to the hot oil.
Cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute more. The batter should be crisp but fairly pale. Remove the blossoms from the oil onto a sheet pan lined with a draining rack or paper towels. While hot, sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat, cooking the blossoms in batches, until they're all cooked.
If you like, you can reserve a blossom or two to chiffonade and sprinkle over the top.
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