fiori fritti {squash blossoms}

ever since i was a child

summer meant

long days in the pool

big family gatherings

and

fiori fritti

squash blossoms

picked 

before the dew dried

gently washed

stemmed

stuffed

battered

and

fried

i picked my first flowers of the season

this weekend

filled them with

fresh chevre, basil & parmesan

 dipped them in really cold batter

and simply fried in olive oil

delicious

for the batter

1/3 cup flour

1 egg

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

1/4 cup sparkling water

2-3 ice cubes

more salt for sprinkling on the fried goodies when they come out of the oil

whisk together the flour, egg, salt, pepper and sparkling water.  add the ice cubes and place in the fridge while you heat the oil and prepare the flowers. the trick for a crispy batter is to have it very cold.

place about 6" of vegetable oil in a sturdy pot---careful to leave another 3-4" from the top of the oil to the top of the pan for safety.

dip the stuffed flowers in the batter and let the excess run off.  fry in the hot oil until begins to brown and is quite crispy.

sugared roses

 it has been mentioned before

that our mountain cabin was once owned by 

the character actress dodo denny

by all accounts

she was a lover of roses

her rose garden is the talk of the neighborhood

who collectively
may have been

a bit disappointed in our attention to it

i personally believe

dodo is a bit put off too

let me explain

we purchased the home after dodo passed

4 years after

the grounds had been neglected

and the prized roses left to die

i am not fond of taunting the dead

so

i pruned the bushes back

to almost nothing

retrained the trellis roses

pulled those that were not going to make it

and then

 i let them be

while we worked on the rest of the garden

finally

2 summers later

dodo's rose garden

is making a comeback

we are enjoying the scent and beauty of the flowers

but
i couldn't resist

cutting a few 

to make sugared rose petals

please don't snitch

dodo is just starting to like us

Sugared Roses

(printable recipe)

freshly picked, pesticide free roses*
granulated sugar (about 1 cup per rose)
vodka
wash the roses while whole gently, and allow to dry.  i swish them in a bowl of cool clean water.  once the roses have air dried, carefully remove the petals. discard any that are discolored or are browning (or set aside to dry and use as potpourri). spread the petals out on paper towels while you work on the other flowers.
place about a 1/4 cup of vodka in a bowl.  pour sugar in a shallow dish about 1/2 inch thick. you will need more sugar, as it will get damp and become difficult to work with. do not pour in all your sugar at once. 
prepare a sheet pan with wax or parchment paper on it to be used for your sugared petals.
dip each petal in the vodka, then lay it on the sugar.  you can do 4 or 5 at a time, but work quickly, as the vodka evaporates.  once you have 4 or 5 petals resting on the sugar, spoon more sugar on top.  gently press the petals and turn once to coat evenly.  remove from the sugar and place on parchment lined sheet pan.  resist the urge to move/touch them. allow to dry about 12 hours, but can take up to 48. store in an airtight container, lined with paper towel in a single layer until ready to use.
note: i used vodka rather than egg white, for ease. you can use powdered egg whites with a bit of water and have a great result. if you choose to do it this way,  use a paint brush to get the whites on the flower.


*it is very important that you know firsthand that your roses are free of pesticides