Stuffed Squash Blossoms

A nice trip to the Scottsdale Farmers Market (located on Shea & 93rd st) I found some beautiful Squash Blossoms. I have never cooked with them before but I have always seen how nice they looked on a plate. So I had made a batch of cashew cheeze so I figured I would fill the blossoms with the cashew cheeze. This was a little complicated because I have a fairly minimalist kitchen so I was without a pastry bag to pipe in the filling. Using my creative skills from my Mother I just used a plastic ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner creating a make shift pastry bag. This recipe was a lot of fun and I served it with a very simple and light pasta dish. I will post both recipes below.

I learned that the farmers market is such a great place to find fruits and veg that you may never see in your local chain stores. Find your local farmers market and try some new foods, most of the time the farmers will have great suggestions on how to best prepare their foods. It is also a really great way to support you local farmers that are not polluting your food with chemicals and who knows what else. (oops I started to step up onto my soap box)

Do you have a farmers market that you love? Where is it? Why to you like it?

Crispy Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Ingredients

Squash Blossoms

Egg re-placer (water to activate)

Cashew Cheeze (recipe below)

Panko Bread Crumbs

S & P to taste

Oil to fry in (I like grapeseed oil)

Directions

First wash the squash blossoms and let them dry

Then begin to fill the blossoms with the cashew cheeze, do not over fill them. pipe in a thin line of cheeze

Next get 2 plates, one for the egg re-placer and one for the panko. season the panko with S & P

Next roll the stuffed blossoms in the egg replace then into the panko, then repeat one more time. you may need to press the panko onto the blossom a little.

Now heat the oil in a frying pan at about medium high heat, toss in a panko crumb to test the oil if it sizzles its ready to fry.

Fry them up till they are golden brown (this picture is funny) :)

Then drain them on to a paper bag with a cookie sheet underneath it (this is a great way to use all the paper bags you may have lying around)

That's it! now let them cool a little and enjoy! they have a really nice crispy outside and a nice savory, creamy inside. Give these a try they are a nice treat from your farmers market!

This is not the best picture but you get the idea. I hope this inspires you to try something new! See below for the pasta recipe and the cashew cheeze.

Cashew Cheeze

1 cup raw unsalted cashews

2 cups fresh water

1 clove garlic

S&P to taste

soak the cashews for at least 2 hours in the fresh water

drain the cashews, save the liquid

put the cashews into the food processor with the garlic and S&P.

let the processor fun and stream in the water until you get a hummus like consistency

refrigerate and then serve

****great on crackers, or thin it with some more water or veggie stock and turn it into a creamy pasta sauce with out the guilt!

Simple Light Pasta

1 package whole wheat pasta (any type you like)

5 cloves of garlic chopped (very small)

1/2 cup or more of really good EVOO - plus a splash for when you cook the garlic

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped up

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake (optional if you like the heat, and you know I do)

S & P to taste

Cook up the pasta according to the directions

In a small satay pan cook the garlic and crushed red pepper with a splash of EVOO

once the garlic is soft and toasty (not burned, be careful)

toss the pasta with the garlic and red pepper, add the EVOO and parsley

toss to combine everything then season with S&P

its really that easy! simple and delish