Caterina was well known for her vegetable garden. Her great-granddaughter, winemaker Janell Dusi – founder of J Dusi wines, loved working in the garden as a child with Caterina.
Harvesting Tip:
Pick only the male flowers for this recipe. The female plants will blossom again and produce more squash. Separate the flower petals without breaking or crushing them. Remove the pistil in the center.
Ingredients:
- Male Squash Flowers
- Flour
- Water
- White wine
- Salt
- Pepper
To make the batter:
In a small bowl, add a little water and an equal amount of white wine. Add flour gradually as you mix it until you reach a consistency of a runny batter. Add salt and pepper.
Refrigerate the batter for 15 to 20 minutes..
To fry the Squash flowers:
- Pour vegetable oil to a depth of one inch in a frying pan.
- Heat vegetable oil in an iron skillet to a hot temperature.
- Take batter from the refrigerator and immediately dip each flower in the batter, coating it completely. Carefully place each batter-covered flower in the hot oil and fry until golden crisp on each side. It only takes a few minutes.
- Remove the flowers from the fry pan and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Mangia!
