Roasted “Chèvre” Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Rosemary Honey Drizzle:
Squash blossoms are one of the most highly underrated summer produce items, in my humble opinion. I have been finding all sorts of ways to play with them so expect a few more posts starring these beautiful buds before summer officially comes to close. The good news is that you can find these babies through early fall, so fear not if you want to give them a go (& I highly encourage you do).
The blossoms have a really subtle sweet squash flavor, but even more sensational than that is the delicate crisp that they bring when roasted! They even come packed with tons of vitamin C for some healing power. They’re great used raw in salads, fried in a taco, or served like this as a decadent amuse bouche.
Stuffed with a cashew-based soft cheese, these sort of remind me of phyllo wrapped goat cheese - where the outside is toasted & crispy and the inside is impossibly rich & creamy. The sweetness of the rosemary honey really compliments the tang of the cheese & brings out the subtle pumpkin flavor of the blossoms.
The Recipe:
-Put 1.5 c cashews in a pot, cover with 1 inch of water & a squeeze of lemon. Boil, simmer 15. Drain, add to blender with 2 cloves garlic & juice of 1 lemon. Blend.
-Add a splash of apple cider vinegar (or just add more lemon juice to make it fully Medical Medium compliant), 1 c coconut milk, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil, and 1 tsp salt. Blend & adjust seasonings as needed.
-Make agar agar (gelling agent) according to package (I do 1/2 tsp to 1/2 c water). Boil. Add to blender & blend. Pour into a bowl or into muffin cups/ramekins to make little cheese molds for later use.
-Wait about 15 for it to firm to goat cheese consistency, then pipe into the blossoms. I just use a ziplock & cut one of the corners to make a quick piping bag.
-Put stuffed blossoms in a baking dish, drizzle lightly with avocado oil, s+p. Bake at 400 for 10ish.
-Finish with a drizzle of rosemary honey if you can find it, or you can also use regular honey.