A beautiful omlette which tastes like, umm, flowers…

Clean and prep the squash blossoms: to find out how to do this, see How to Clean Zucchini Flowers

Beat eggs with a little milk as if you were going to make scrambled eggs. Melt butter or olive oil in a skillet and when hot, add the egg mixture, turn the heat to low, arrange the squash blossoms on top of the egg and dot with crumbled feta cheese. Cover till the eggs set and the squash blossoms wilt, or broil briefly to get a slightly browned top. Garnish with herbs and serve.

An alternative method is to gently sauté the cleaned blossoms in butter with a little grated onion. When they are softened, pour egg mixture over them. Lift gently with a spatula so the egg runs under the blossoms. When the bottom is solidified, turn the whole frittata using a plate to help turn it over and sauté briefly till the bottom is cooked. Slide onto a serving plate and enjoy.

This is a really delicious soup and a wonderful way to use some of those beautiful zucchini (or squash or pumpkin) flowers before they turn into too many little zucchinis (or squashes or pumpkins). Squash blossoms are considered a seasonal treat in Mexico and are sold in large bunches in the markets. This recipe comes from Diana Kennedy’s “The Cuisines of Mexico”.

20 (or more) large zucchini/squash/pumpkin blossoms
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups well-flavored chicken broth
1 tblsp butter
1 sprig epazote (a Mexican herb. Barb McK grows it in her plot & is glad to share)

Remove the stems from the flowers, strip off the sepals, and inspect for insects. Chop the flowers and any little attached zucchinis and sauté in butter with the chopped onion. Cover pan and cook until tender.

Blend cooked flowers/onion mixture and 2 cups chicken broth to a puree. Add 1 cup of milk (or milk/cream mixture) and heat but do not boil. Season with a sprig of epazote to get a very exotic Mexican flavor.