Cheese-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Shaved Baby Squash and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

ingredients

• squash blossoms:
• 3 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup mild fresh goat cheese (1/3 cup) at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped raw (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted until they puff
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 dash black pepper
• 12 male squash blossoms with stems (not with baby summer squash), stems trimmed to 1 inch
• vinaigrette and shaved squash:
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 dash black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound assorted baby summer squash, stems discarded
• tempura batter and frying:
• 1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil (canola or grapeseed)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup chilled sparkling water
• topping:
• 2 tablespoons raw (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted until they puff
• 1/3 cup small basil leaves (preferably Thai) or sliced larger leaves

directions

Stuff squash blossoms:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Toss tomatoes with oil and arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a shallow (1 inch-deep) baking pan. Bake in middle of oven until slightly shriveled but not completely dried or browned, about 1.25 hours. Transfer pan to a rack to cool.

Stir together goat cheese, cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and fold in half of oven-dried tomatoes.

Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of this filling into each blossom and twist ends of petals gently to close. Chill, covered, until ready to fry.

Prepare vinaigrette and shaved squash:

Puree vinegar, shallot, oil, pepper, and salt in a blender until smooth and emulsified.

Slice squash paper-thin (lengthwise) using slicer, then overlap squash slices decoratively on 4 plates to cover surface.

Make tempura batter and fry blossoms:

Heat 2 inches of oil in a 3 quarts saucepan to 350 degrees on thermometer.

Set a bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, then whisk together flour and salt in smaller bowl. Then whisk in sparkling water until combined well.

Working in batches of 3, coat blossoms in batter, lifting each out by its stem and letting excess drip off, then fry, turning, until batter is crisp (it will not brown), 1 minutes. Transfer blossoms as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels, drain, then season with salt.

Assemble plates:

Drizzle vinaigrette over squash slices, then arrange 3 fried blossoms in middle of each plate. Sprinkle remaining oven-dried tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and basil around blossoms and season with salt and pepper.

note:

Squash blossoms can be stuffed 4 hours before frying and chilled, covered.

Squash can be shaved 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Don't drizzle with vinaigrette until just before serving.