Ahhhh - the gorgeous, ethereal zucchini blossom.
Up until a few years ago, unless you grew them yourself, you would rarely come across those golden flowers, which are far too fragile for most supermarkets to handle. These days you can find them at farmers’ markets, though they are not nearly as prevalent as the taut green and yellow fruit. (All types of squash have edible blossoms, but the most common are zucchini)
Whenever I see zucchini flowers, I buy them. They’re just too pretty to pass up.
For years, I followed the lead of chefs and fried the blossoms, usually with something cheesy crammed into their centers. But after battering and frying, the flowers were no longer as lovely to look at, and their delicate flavor largely disappeared as they hit the hot oil. All I could taste was salty, crunchy fried matter, gooey with melted cheese. Delicious, but the blossoms themselves were moot.
This summer, I vowed to try something else. Instead of cooking them at all, I’d eat them raw.
