Stuffed pumpkin or squash flowers!

Video & Print Card coming soon!

YES, you absolutely can eat pumpkin or squash flowers! As a matter of fact they are such a wonderful treat making the efforts of all the time spent weeding the garden well worth it.

Not only do these stuffed flowers make the perfect appetizer before your dinner it is like the garden is gifting you a little appetizer before you harvest the fruit. Pumpkin and squash are in the same family, so is watermelon! You can make this recipe with any of their flowers although the watermelon flowers are edible they aren't exactly designed to hold a stuffing. I will post how to use watermelon flowers in a different recipe. For today we are focusing on flowers that look like the photo above which grow on different verities of pumpkins and squash.

The flowers typically come up 8-10 weeks after planting from seed. You will have male and female flowers. It is really important to only harvest the male flowers or else you won't get fruit. The two photos below shows you the difference in a male flower on a pumpkin plant vs the female flower. It is very obvious and easy to tell the difference.

This one is a female flower- you can see the small pumpkin already forming. Leave this flower attached and let nature do what it does.

This is a male pumpkin flower. There isn't any fruit producing. This one is what you are looking for to harvest for your yummy appetizer.

This is our very first year growing a garden and we really went all out with it! Dave has spent hours a day since planting making sure there aren't any weeds and inspecting each and every plant to ensure the damaging pests are staying away, it isn't too wet, the plants are staked so the wind doesn't knock them over, and anything else that needs to be done to make sure this gorgeous living and thriving food supply stays abundant and happy. Of course I want to treat him with the best tasting recipes for all of his hard efforts! Next year I will be helping a lot more in the actual garden process. This year I have been growing a baby and the summer heat and bending over takes a toll on me at this stage of the pregnancy.

Early morning I find and feel is the best time to harvest from the garden; there could be some exceptions but so far I haven't come across that yet. I was a bit worried about giving the garden it's first small "haircut" because this garden is so beautiful I didn't want to take from it. I had to remind myself that is what it wants to do. It wants to provide for us, it wants to be eaten, it wants to be admired. Once Dave was off to work I finished my toast and off to the garden I went to gather some tasty treats.

Every plant in this garden was started from seed, directly sewn in, with all seeds being heirloom and organic. I'll be doing an extensive garden post to introduce you to everything we did soon.

Generally I am cooking for 3 adults at this stage in our life. I wanted the 3 of us to have 2 flowers each as an appetizer so I only harvested 6 flowers total; leaving plenty of the others for the valuable bees to enjoy. The bees really love the pumpkin flowers! Bees are a vital key to a great garden and growing things and leaving enough behind for them is always important to us.

-You can gather the amount you need and the recipe makes enough filling for double what I gathered-

To harvest the flowers it is super super easy. You really don't even need to do anything other than put two fingers under the flower, allowing the flower to rest in the palm of your hand and VERY gently pull up, the flower will fall right off. If you have to do anything more than a slight gentle pull then simply cut the flower at the base right where the stem and flower connect. You don't want to damage your delicate stem or plant.

Everything about gardening and working with the produce typically takes additional patience and a gentleness that I find truly heals the soul and teaches us to carry ourselves in a more soft and gentle way through life. It is a real spiritual connection when we allow it to be and when we see the connections. An experience I have valued tremendously so far this season. Nothing about this process is meant to be rushed, it is meant to be a time to be present and in the moment a time to allow your soul to relax and your mind to explore the magic around you in that child like wonder that so many adults seem to forget. Explore the tiny details of your garden when you are out there harvesting ingredients and I can guarantee it will benefit you even more.

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Recipe

This recipe isn't an exact measured recipe.

A lot of times I cook by feeling and eyeballing what seems right.

I did my best to give you rough estimates getting it close to what I used as far as amounts go.

Taste test along the way and make adjustments as needed.

For any questions remember you can contact me

As always we use organic, whole foods based, clean ingredients as much as possible.

Your ingredients are going to make a huge difference in the quality and taste of your recipe.

Ingredients

I harvested 6 pumpkin flowers

(You can collect as many as you would like from the pumpkins or from squash. This filling should be enough for 12 stuffed flowers.) If you aren't growing a garden or didn't plant pumpkin/squash you may be able to purchase the flowers from your local farmers market or reach out to someone you know that is growing a garden to see if you can collect some of theirs.

Harvesting a few of the male flowers will not harm or hinder the growth of the fruit.

*Remember these are rough estimates of the quantity used*

1 cup of really good quality ricotta cheese

3-4 portabella mushrooms minced

4 TBS chopped purple onion minced

1 TBS grass fed butter, extra virgin olive oil, or water (whichever is your preference. I used butter)

1 healthy pinch of sea salt, a few spins around the pepper grinder, and a healthy pinch of garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

You can use your favorite herbs dried or fresh

I did 1/4 cup of fresh basil from the garden

This is a great recipe to allow a space for your garden herbs to really shine

1/4 cup really good parmesan cheese

4 heaping spoons of organic all purpose flour (seasoning for the flour - salt, pepper, herbs)

1-2 eggs whisked (depending on how many flowers you are stuffing. One egg was enough for me with 6 flowers)

Additional 1 TBS - 2 TBS of butter or olive oil (I used cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for the light frying process)

Directions

1. Once you harvest your pumpkin or squash flowers gently wash them in cold water making sure there aren't any living beings hiding inside. GENTLY shake the flowers a bit to remove any excess water, place on a cotton cloth or paper towel, and allow to dry for about an hour.

2. Heat a small cast iron pan over medium heat, add your butter, and the small minced mushrooms and onion. If you have fresh garlic on hand you can mince that as well and use fresh instead of the powder.

3. While the veggies are cooking take a medium mixing bowl and add to it the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, and other herbs fresh and dried along with the parmesan cheese. Stir until combined.

4. Once the onions and mushrooms are soft and cooked down remove from heat and allow to cool for a moment. Fold into the ricotta cheese mixture.

5. Very carefully take your flowers one at a time, using a spoon gently spoon in some of the filling, then easily twist or fold the petals over to secure your stuffing. This is a gentle process to ensure you don't damage the flowers. A little stuffing oozing out won't hurt anything, just do the best you can.

6. Once your flowers are stuffed, heat a cast iron skillet over medium with your additional butter or olive oil. We very rarely use oil but on very few occasions we will use cold pressed extra olive oil. Use whatever you prefer. It doesn't take too much you just want a light coating on the bottom of the pan.

7. While the pan is heating- take two bowl and whisk the egg in one, then whisk the flour and seasoning combo in the other

8. Lightly dredge your stuffed flowers one at a time in the egg mixture then into the flour making sure to cover the flowers well.

9. When the pan is nice and hot carefully add the flowers and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. When the flowers are golden brown all over remove them from the heat and they are ready to serve.
   

   

   NOTE: The very base of the flower is a bit bitter I would advice avoid eating that part. It would be the part you hold while eating, just discard that last little bit. Of course you can try it and see what you think, we found that last bite to be more bitter than we prefer.

   Serve and enjoy I really hope you enjoy this recipe! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your creations you can email, text, or tag us on social media to show us what you create. Also don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I will do my best to respond as quickly as I can. CONTACT NAT