~Squash Blossoms and Summer Indulgence~

Anyone who has read our blog knows that summer is definitely my favorite season.  I could attribute that to the fact that for more than a decade I have spent my life on the east coast, where sunshine seems to be a special commodity for most of the year, and summer something to really be appreciated and enjoyed.  Perhaps that has fostered my love but I think I have always been a summer girl. I have recently come to the conclusion that they (whoever "They" are) are right: :You can take the girl out of Cali (as in California) but you can't take the Cali out of the girl".  I  miss my year round warmer weather, I crave to romp barefoot through my garden with the sun shining upon my shoulders and I swear there are times, the ocean just seems to be calling out to my very soul. 

I am indeed a Summer Gal! With summer cravings.

Even my favorite foods are summer crops.  Fresh berries and summer squash are always a feature in my little garden.  As all of you who follow our blog are well aware.  

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Just check out this list of previous posts, all inspired by the glorious season:

Eating of the Season's Bounty

Summer Garden Kale Salad

Summer Part-ay Food

Celebrating the 4th Veggie Style

Squash Blossoms: Hooray

 

What follows is a take two of the last recipe listed above with a few minor (but oh so delicious) changes:

 ~Squash Blossoms: Take Two~

INGREDIENTS:

About 8-10 freshly picked summer squash blossoms

There are more pictured here than I actually used, as I split my lot with my mom.

~To prepare your blossoms for stuffing, remove both the stamen and stems, taking care not to rip the fragile petals.  You may also rinse them however I find that a gentle dusting with your index finger does the trick.  This is also an ideal time to check for any little garden bugs that may have sought refuge inside.

To make the: 

 VEGAN "RICOTTA" FILLING

1/2 block of extra firm tofu  (drained and pressed)

4 tbsp. of pre-soaked cashews*

1 clove of fresh garlic (pressed or chopped)

4-5 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast flakes

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

  1 teaspoon of olive oil

pinch of pink sea salt

 

Finely chop your basil in preparation and set aside.

After you have drained/pressed your tofu, crumble it into the processor.  Then add in your remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. 

You can stuff your blossoms one of two ways:

the way I have done it in the past OR . . .

the new and improved way: place in a large bag, snip the end and use it to squeeze into the flower. 

Once your blossoms have all been stuffed, you can move onto making the batter to coat them with.

To make the batter . . .

Simply combine in a large bowl the following:

 1 1/4 cups of a gluten-free flour mix

and 1 tsp. each of sea salt and pepper in a bowl

Slowly whisk in: 

12 ounces of chilled club soda

The desired results will be a sort of tempura-like batter.

Give your stuffed blossoms a couple good dips and use your fingers to make sure they are both evenly coated and to remove the excess. 

Toss into a wok filled with tempered oil (350 degrees is perfect) and turn to ensure all sides become golden brown and crispy.

THIS will be your final result:

MY DISCLAIMER: Frying the blossoms may not be the healthiest approach to this dish, but I kinda figure since this really is truly a once a year sort of dish,  it's alright to indulge yourself, a bit.  Besides, we Peas are all about love and in my opinion: Letting go of control, letting go of judgement is just another way to love yourself. So . . .

Here's to embracing the bounteous blessings of Summer! 

Here's to filling our bellies with yummy things!

and

Here's to Indulgence!

LOVE & LIGHT,

Amber

*This step will take a bit of preparation in advance:  Simply place your cashews in a bowl or jar and fully cover with water. Place a towel or lid on your bowl or jar and allow them to soak for a few hours or optimally: overnight.

OH! I almost forgot!

My first ever set of "conjoined twins"