Fried Squash Blossoms

At our Farmer's Market, which actually has farmers at it, a lady was selling baby squash with the blossoms still on them. The wife would often wax poetically about the squash blossoms she had in Italy before she met me so I was naturally interested in trying them. I knew they were a rare find because they lasted a matter of hours once picked. I seized the opportunity and tried making fried squash blossoms with dinner. For the recipe I culled the internets because my Italian books didn't cover it. All the recipes had different theories on how to handle them so I winged it with a basic batter and a ricotta/herb/pine nut stuffing. I stuffed, battered then fried them in corn oil for a few minutes. If you're actually interested in trying this a quick internets search will give you some decent recipes. Bottom line - pretty good. Let's face it, a fried flower doesn't have much taste so it's not like it's going to steal the flavor crown from truffles or hamburgers. I feel a tad guilty that I've removed the mystique surrounding the wife's memory of the "blossoms in Sorrento" but what good is a spouse if they can't shatter your delusions?