squash blossoms in Pasadena

[eberhard49]

I had stuffed squash blossoms at Mike and Anne's in South Pasadena for the first time this past weekend and am now intrigued with cooking with them. Does anyone know where I can find them?

[Das Ubergeek]

Any farmers' market worth its salt -- because, as anyone who's tried growing zucchini in their backyard knows, if you let all the blossoms become zucchini you are going to have to go car-to-car in the parking lot of the Paseo looking for unsuspecting doors left unlocked in which to dump extra zucchini.

I stuff them with goat cheese, then put them in quesadillas with handmade tortillas and quesillo (the stringy tangy cheese from Oaxaca, you can get it in most Mexican markets of any size). Or I make a filling of ricotta, reconstituted dried tomatoes (NOT the kind in oil) and pesto and stuff them, batter them (white flour, water, salt and a bit of baking powder) and deep-fry the suckers.

[TastELA]

can I come eat at your house?

[spankaccount]

Bristol Farms in south Pasadena has them. If they are out they will order some for you.

[zelva]

I bought some a couple weeks ago at the South Pasadena Thursday evening farmer's market

[Will Owen]

...and since zooks just keep happening all summer, they'll probably be available at farmer's markets for quite a while. Most of the ones I've seen have itty bitty baby squashes attached to them - never tried cooking those, but it might be fun.

[chefthisguy]

They roast up fairly quick...you can deepy fry them like tempura filled with imaginative items like risotto, shrimp, spot prawns, lobster...i like the little zukes with big blossoms, they especially look cool on the plate.

[eberhard49]

the ones that I had at Mike and Annes were stuffed with goat cheese, battered, and fried like tempura. They were served with a red pepper sauce I believe...SO TASTY!

[chefthisguy]

farmers markets will have them all summer; try the whole foods in Glendale or Pasadena...check the Pasadena Market on Saturday, Monrovia on wednesday, or the South Pasadena on Thurs...when you get them find a good tempura batter recipe (flour, eggs and iced sparkling water works great...leave some lumps for crispiness) and go to town with different fillings and sauces...then invite your friends over for the "Squash Blossom Tapas Bonanza"