I completely forgot that I had planted rows of zucchini squash in my garden until their beautiful oranges blossoms began to bloom this week. As a first time vegetable gardener I’ve never cooked with blossoms straight from my garden before. I remember seeing a recipe using them in Susan Spungen’s cookbook Open Kitchen whose recipes have never disappointed. A frittata is one of my favorite ways to use up odds and ends in the refrigerator and in this case to highlight one of early summer’s most underrated vegetables. I love how both the colors and flavors layer together in this one pan dish, making it an absolutely perfect weekday lunch or weekend brunch.
Squash and Squash Blossom Frittata
Adapted from Susan Spungen’s Recipe in Open Kitchen – I followed the recipe but made a few changes as follows: I used one large zucchini instead of two which seemed like a lot for a 10 inch pan. I didn’t have heavy cream so replaced it with 1/4 cup of sour cream which seemed to work well. I also used ricotta salata instead of ricotta – I think feta or goat cheese would work equally as well depending on your preference.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large zucchini (or 2 small ones) cut into 1/4 coins and then half moons
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bunch of salons, white and green parts trimmed and sliced
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Handful of basil leaves, slivered
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup ricotta salata cheese cubed or feta cheese
- 2 large squash blossoms, cleaned, petals separated (optional as they blossoms themselves don’t add much flavor but are a stunning topper to the frittata!)
- 1/2 cup small cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tbs melted unsalted butter
Directions
- Preheat broiler
- Heat 1 tbs oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the scallions and reduce the heat to medium-low. Beat the eggs with the sour cream, add 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and add to pan. Stir in the basil and Parmesan cheese using a spatula to pull back the center as the eggs start to set – approximately 5-7 mins. Dollop the cheese and tomatoes on the top, arrange squash blossoms. Brush blossoms with melted butter, then place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Crack fresh pepper over top to taste.
