Squash blossoms signal of the arrival of summer. The bright orange blossoms come from summer squash plants like zucchini and are typically served as a stuffed and fried savory appetizer. In our version, we’ve made it into a dessert, with its delicate battered and fried petals sitting on a dollop of sweetened ricotta.
Unlike hardy winter squash is harvested while the exterior is still tender, and can be eaten rind, seeds, and all. The first time I saw the multitude of varieties of these colorful squash, I excitedly bought as many as I could, from bright yellow crookneck squash, I excitedly bought as many as I could, from bright yellow crookneck squash and green zucchini to the petite and nutty pattypan squash. I’ve found the round-shaped squash are delicious when hollowed out, stuffed, and baked, and the long yellow squash and zucchini made a wonderfully light side dish when shaved raw into ribbons and tossed with dressing.
