Video: Make your own stuffed squash blossoms

Zucchini or summer squash abound.

The blossoms of these vegetables, though, are where the real flavor fun possibilities are.

How about filling the blossoms and them frying them?

Max Hansen, the chef/owner of Max Hansen Catering in Bucks County, shot this video to show how easy it is.

And here's the recipe to make it easier if you're following along at home.

Fried Squash Blossoms
(Serves 2-3)

12 fresh zucchini or summer squash blossoms (ideally picked fresh from your garden or found at your local fresh produce stand)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup San Pellegrino or club soda
2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups canola oil (or your favorite frying oil)
1 lemon, cut into clean wedges

Combine the flour and club soda, mix well, season lightly with salt. Set aside until the fillings are made. Gently heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 325 degrees.

Scallop Mousse with Jumbo Lump Crab for Squash Blossom Filling

1/2 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked clean of any shells

1/4 pound scallops (dry ones preferred, the freshest possible)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

few drops of worcestershire sauce

few drops of Tabasco

1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely minced

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Pick through the crab meat carefully to remove any shells, trying not to break up the big chunks of crab. Place the scallops in the bowl of a food processor, pulse while adding the heavy cream until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the bowl of the food processor and pulse again, add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcester and Tabasco sauce, season lightly with a little salt and pepper. Pulse well.

Place the scallop mixture into a bowl and add the finely sliced chives, mix well, fold in the cleaned crab meat. Using a plastic spatula, place in a disposable plastic piping bag (if you do not have a piping bag you can use a sturdy quart-size zipper-seal plasaic bag, cutting off the tip to create an opening of about 3/8". Pipe into the center of the zucchini flower, fill full, but do not over fill. Fold the tips of the leaves over to cover the filing.

Goat Cheese Filling for Squash Blossom Filling

2 cloves roasted garlic

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened at room temperature

2 ounces fresh ricotta

1 tablespoon fresh basil, rough chopped

3 tablespoons panko, toasted in 1 tablespoon butter

fresh ground pepper

In a small bowl place the roasted garlic and kosher salt. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a paste, add the softened goat cheese and ricotta, mix well. Add the basil and panko and fold in. Check seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Repeat the same process with a clean piping bag and fill the blossoms the same way as above.

To cook the blossoms

Once the blossoms are full make sure that the oil is at 325 degrees. Carefully dip the stuffed blossoms into the batter, let the excess drip off and fry a few at a time so as not to cool down the oil too much. Turn over to make sure that they cook evenly. First, fry the goat cheese stuffed flowers and then the scallop and crab stuffed blossoms, making sure that you keep them separate. To serve, place 2 of each blossom on a plate artfully with a couple of small lemon wedges. Season lightly with salt (if you like).