As summer switches into gear, backyard gardens look big and lush.  Produce is just starting to ripen:  a tomato here, a zucchini there, a handful of sugar snap peas today, bulbous spring onions tomorrow.  Backyard produce has not commenced bountiful delivery yet and with the sporadic harvest of this or that, all that remains sitting on the vine seems like a way for Mother Nature to taunt us.  Looking at lush green leaves on green beans and sugar snap pea plants, those are edible and make interesting salads with stone fruit arriving at the local produce stand.  However, as I focus in on the garden looking at blooms here or there, one does begin to ponder, “Is it edible or is it not?”

Many flowers that are found in or bordering vegetable gardens are edible.  Nasturiums are widely known for being edible as they sport a pepper-like, if not mustard, flavor.  Surprisingly day lilies are edible, along with pansies and Johnny jump-ups.  Before you race to the backyard looking for a meal, however, there are a few recommendations to keep in mind.  First, do go to the public library and check out a reliable source on edible flowers.  While many are edible, there are plenty which are not.  Similarly they will let you know when they are edible or if prepared differently may not be edible.  Second, be mindful to pick male flowers (particularly with vegetable flowers) so that the female flowers can actually produce the vegetable that you are hungrily awaiting.  Third, when picking said male flowers, be mindful to not pick all or from one area particularly.  This will again stamp out vegetable production.  Fourth, if you use commercial fertilizers or pesticides on your garden, the flowers will be inedible for obvious toxicity reasons.  Finally, while this may be common sense, please remember that if you did not plant it, the flower (or produce) is not yours.  My good friend James lamented the other day that a man simply hopped off his bike, sat down adjacent to James’ flower bed and began to munch on day lilies as an impromptu lunch and brazenly returned again to feast on blooming yucca.

As I wandered the vegetable garden on Sunday morning, I noticed that I had an abundance of male zucchini flowers.   The female flowers were readily recognizable as they had small squash attached at the base and the male flowers had a long simply stem.   Surveying the garden, I realized that there were about 12 flowers that I could pick to use for this week’s article.   Squash blossoms are one of the first things that are harvested from a summer vegetable garden and I wait all year until this point to reap their soft subtle flavors that capture the essence of this stage of the garden’s growth in June.  It is a flavor that is organic to your garden and your soil; it ties you sensually to the earth.

For those who love squash blossoms but do not garden, you know what a challenge it is to find these flowers at your local farmer’s market (and similarly how early you have to arrive to find them and be prepared to use them that very afternoon in a culinary “beat the clock” fashion).  Yet for a few dollars, whether you start from seed or established plant, squash blossoms can grace your table effortlessly and entertain even the most impromptu guest.  The flavor of freshly picked squash blossoms precisely before using them in a dish is unparalleled.

Cleaning the squash blossoms is tricky business as it requires a gently and patient touch.  Careful to not break the petals, the flower is gently opened to be washed.  Aside from removing the pistil, also clean out any pollen and watch for small ants inside the flower (which also need to be removed).   Once they dry on a paper towel, these flowers are ready to be filled with your favorite ingredients or used in other recipes.

As mentioned earlier, squash blossoms have a delicate flavor.  It is no surprise then that they pair beautifully with sparkling wine.  The bubbles in sparkling wine allow delicate flavors found in wine and food pairings to take center stage.  There are several recipes in Mexican cuisine which feature the squash blossom as its star ingredient, however, I decided that for a summer Sunday afternoon, why not be inspired by Italian cuisine.   The Italians are known for pairing their sparkling wine (Prosecco) with fried stuffed squash blossoms.  Having decided upon a method of preparation, I next selected Chandon’s sparkling Etoile Brut to pair with the pending meal.

Chandon’s Etoile has a slightly sweeter, deeper flavor of Fuji apple, candied ginger, apricot and almond.  Its bouquet similarly offers aromas of almond, honey and buttered toast.   On a summer afternoon, sparkling wine is a terrific treat.  If your weather is cooler, the bubbles are crisper.  If your summer is warmer, the bubbles enliven a heavy palate and encourage warm, heavy, rich flavors in the food and wine to tumble forth.  You simply cannot go wrong.

Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Roasted Tomato-Garlic Red Sauce

Returning to the squash blossoms, I have carefully elected to combine ricotta cheese with a variety of herbs and chopped scallions.  Both the scallions and herbs were freshly picked from the garden.  When selecting herbs, it is best (i) to remember the nuances of the wine that is being paired and (ii) to contemplate the dish as a whole and settle upon what message the herbs are to deliver.   In this case, the squash blossoms are a delicate flavor to which the other ingredients should play a supporting role.  Focusing largely on fresh lemon thyme, the herb mixture will remain light and lively.  Thyme is used to diversify the flavor along with a bit of minced fresh oregano and dill.  The combination of these herbs is not only refreshing on the palate, but they are pleasant aromatically, too.  One of the best ways to determine if your herb mixture is balanced is to allow you nose to lead your way.  The ricotta is allowed to drain in a colander so that excess moisture will not wilt or weight down the squash blossoms.  This small, yet crucial, step can be done while you mince your herbs and finish your other prep work.   The herbs are carefully folded in followed by minced scallions from the garden.   The blossoms next are gently filled and set upon a plate. 

Up next is the batter.   Batter preferences vary but in order to allow squash blossoms to show off their delicate appearance, corn starch is used with an equal part of flour.  Similarly, the batter should be runny (not thick or lumpy) so after working in an egg, some of the sparkling wine is used as well.   Using sparkling wine ties the dish flavorfully to the wine pairing making the chef’s job that much easier.  However, when sparkling wine is added to a batter, it makes it extremely light.  The result is perfect as the batter fries to a light consistency (lighter than a highly perfected tempura).

While it would be tempting to eat these immediately, there is a wonderful roasted tomato and garlic sauce simmering on the stove.  A few red pepper flakes were added to give some spice and dimension to the sauce but towards the end, a bit of the sparkling wine found its way into the pot.  I simply love to add white wine to a rich red tomato sauce.  It naturally sweetens it without the addition of unnecessary sugar.  This rich roasted tomato sauce is meant to be more of a garnish on the plate and augment the stuffed squash blossom.

The sauce is drizzled on the plate and the squash blossoms are placed on top and garnished with a bit of chopped fresh chives from the garden.

Similarly, dress the table and the plate with what is blooming around your home.  This step helps to awaken the senses and seal memories of time and place.  In the garden, marigolds are thriving to ward off pests.  Three are snipped to accent the plate along with tiny flowers from cilantro and oregano which are racing to seed.  These small white flowers each deliver a powerful aromatic punch of its respective herb.   This is another simple way to prep the diner to taste and experience wine (since what one tastes is largely influenced by what one smells). 

Finally, using antique china, silver and crystal is fun on a Sunday afternoon.  When the table is situated in the shade it is effortless to while away the hours under the trees while sipping sparkling wine and nibbling on your garden’s present bounty.