Last week I found fresh squash blossoms and fava beans at the Phinney Neighborhood Farmers Market. The guys at Alvarez Farms told me that they picked the blossoms that same morning. I knew I had to buy some given how fresh they were. I have to admit, I don’t cook with squash blossoms that often. Their season is super short and they are kind of difficult to work with. But, once a year, I buy some to make this dish and teleport myself to the beachy summer days in Turkey.

There are many ways to cook squash blossoms. You can fry them with a batter or stuff them with cheeses like ricotta or burrata. Stuffed squash blossoms is a specialty of the Aegean region of Turkey. In this region, squash blossoms are stuffed with rice mixed with lots of herbs. The squash blossoms are served cold with a drizzle of lemon juice. It is definitely a summer time favorite on dinner tables.

I always choose larger squash blossoms as they are easier to stuff. They don’t stay fresh for long so it is best to cook this dish on the same day you buy the blossoms. If the blossoms wilt, they become hard to stuff so keep them protected from warm weather and sun.

Yields: 2-3 servings Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

8 squash blossoms

2 and ½ tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced (about ⅓ cup)

½ cup white rice

3 tablespoons water for stuffing, 1 cup water for cooking

Fresh mint, chopped, keep the stems (about 1 tablespoon)

Fresh dill, chopped, keep the stems (about 1 tablespoon)

½ tablespoon pine nuts

½ fresh tomato, pureed (or 2 tablespoons of canned tomato sauce)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Preparation

1. Gently remove the stem inside the flower that has the yellow pollens on it.

2. Using a paring knife, cut off the small, green, hairy sepals if there are any, near the base of the flower (see pictures).

3. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the diced onions in 1 and ½ tablespoons of olive oil, until softened, 3-5 minutes. We will use the rest of the olive oil later.

4. Rinse the rice and add it to the pan. Give everything a stir for about a minute.

5. To puree the tomato, I use the chopper attachment of a hand blender. You can also use a grater.

6. Add in the tomato puree, dill, parsley, mint, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Give everything a stir.

7. Add in 3 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring, until the all the water has been absorbed. The rice should be cooked a little bit but still quite crunchy.

8. Remove from heat and let the stuffing cool for about 10 minutes.

9. Once the stuffing has cooled down, with the help of a teaspoon, take a spoonful of stuffing and gently fill the inside of the squash blossom. It is important not to overstuff the blossom. The rice is going to absorb more water so it needs room to expand. If we overstuff the blossom, it can rip during the cooking process.

10. Once the center of the squash blossom is stuffed, close it by folding the petals of the blossom one by one (see pictures).

11. Depending on the size of your blossoms, you might have some stuffing leftover. Transfer the leftover stuffing into another container. You can always add water and cook it just like cooking normal rice.

12. I use the same pan that we used to make the stuffing for cooking the blossoms. The leftover olive oil in the pan helps enhance the flavor. Lay the herb stems on the bottom of the pan. They help raise the blossoms so that they don’t stick to the pan.

13. Transfer the stuffed squash blossoms to the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of warm water. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, with the lid closed, for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

14. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve the dish room temperature or cold with lemon wedges on the side.