As the heat turns up in the Carolinas, hearty squash are blooming brightly in the garden. They have large, lovely, velvety soft flower blossoms that tend to hang on a few days before producing a squash bud and falling off. These beauties can be removed in the morning, rinsed off, and eaten as edible flowers. Squash blossoms can be stuffed with a combination of purreed squash and bread crumbs and fried, baked, or served raw. I recently stuffed my collection of blooms with herbed goat cheese, battered and lightly pan fried them for appetizers. The green stem and center stamen are all edible but tend to be removed for their different texture.
There are many ways to prepare tender young squash. The older and larger a squash is, the more seeds it will have. Smaller squash can be halved longways and gently boiled in a court boullion or vegetable broth for a couple a minutes, seasoned, and eaten. They add bright color and texture to your dinner plate or buffet with little cost and preparation.
Below is a delicious fritter recipe for Crispy Squash Croquettes with fresh garlic sauce for dipping.
Summer Squash Fritters recipe with Garlic Sauce *Vegetarian
This easy recipe produces two larger or four smaller squash fritters depending on the initial vegetable size and patty size.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large or two smaller fresh squash, wash and pat dry. No need to peel. Slice thinly or chop small.
- 1 Tablespoon onion, finely chopped white, yellow, or Vidalia variety (omit if you do not like)
- 1/4 Cup (59mm) self-rising flour. No need to sift. Break up any clumps with a fork first. More flour may be needed to get consistency right if the mixture looks too thin.
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 egg. Crack it in a coffee mug and use a fork to whip it until the yolk is broken and blended. Egg substitute can also be used to bind the croquettes together.
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, rinse and pat dry. Chop small and use for garnish if desired.
- Roughly 1/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil, or Crisco shortening for pan frying. You want just enough oil to cover the bottom of your frying pan about 1/4 inch (.65 cm). “Air frying” or convection oven baking is not recommended for this recipe.
PREPARE:
- In a frying pan add 3 Tablespoons cold water, squash, onions (if used), and a light sprinkle of non- Iodized salt. Cook on medium to low heat until squash are tender when poked with a fork. Onions should be translucent (clear). Drain any remaining water off. Usually the water is cooked out and pan is dry when veg are done, depending on how thick the slices are.
- Put squash blend in a bowl and gently mash with the back side of a fork. Stir in the beaten egg. Add flour and baking powder. Use a spatula to fold ingredients together well. Mixture should be about the consistency of biscuit dough.
- Heat the pan until warm, add oil until hot. Drop large serving spoon size amounts in hot oil, about 350 degrees F (or 176 degrees C). When edges are browning, flip the fritter lightly and mash the top down flat to cook evenly. Pull out after about two minutes and drain on a paper towel. Serve room temperature or warm for best flavor.
Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce, serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Tablespoons Dukes Mayonaisse. Dukes is made with egg and no sugar added.
- 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning blend
- 6 to 8 cloves of freshly oven roasted galic cloves, peeled and mashed with back of fork
PREPARE:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together with a fork. Sauce is ready to serve cold or room temperature for up to 2 hours.
TIPS:
- This dipping sauce can be thinned down by adding 1 teaspoon of olive oil and poured into a squeeze container. Drizzle the sauce over crispy squash croquettes for a flavorful and pretty presentation.
- Roasted garlic sauce is a delicious sandwich spread for beef or chicken burgers!
- Sauce can be made in double or triple batches with two heads of garlic. Refrigerate for up to 5 days in a covered glass container.
The Carolina Cuisine Network 