Pumpkin flowers

More and more articles have recently appeared about edible flowers and how they can be used in cooking. Moreover, there is a lot of information containing the recipe for preparing or using a particular type of flower.

In general, the choice of plant flowers that can be used in the kitchen depends primarily on the time of year. Basically, the flower season begins in spring, when violets and primrose appear first. They are replaced by pumpkin flowers and zucchini, and closer to summer field plants bloom, as well as fruit trees, the most interesting from a gastronomic point of view, the flowers of which are the inflorescences of the apple and peach tree.

It is worth noting that edible flowers are not food in priority, but more decoration, decor and accessory, thanks to which people maintain a sunny and joyful mood. And here it is not even so important whether we are talking about high cuisine. Undoubtedly, in restaurants edible flowers are much more common than in someone at home, however, in home cuisine they play an important role.

More often than others, bright yellow pumpkin flowers are used in gastronomy. For example, in Italy they go on sale in vegetable stores in the form of flowering tiny pumpkins, which are only a few days old from the moment of birth and which are much smaller in size than the flower itself, which is crowned by a newborn vegetable.

It is clear that in our country pumpkin flowers are practically not found on supermarket counters, except in specialized shops, but no one bothers to plant a couple of plants in their garden precisely for the purpose of then trying their flowers. By the way, pumpkin flowers can be safely eaten raw. The taste of pumpkin flowers resembles the taste of the vegetable itself, only it is not as bright as diluted, more delicate and sophisticated.

Fresh pumpkin flowers can be added to green salad leaves. For example, a large yellow flower in a plate of each guest will turn a regular salad into a beautiful and sophisticated dish. Beyond that, pumpkin flowers are a great addition to any cream soup. True, you do not need to cook them, since pumpkin colors contain a large amount of water and little fiber. Therefore, if you throw a whole armful of pumpkin flowers into the boiling water, in a couple of minutes they will become an unappetizing mass of dubious appearance.

Pumpkin flowers are mostly added to first courses just before serving, similar to greens - dill or parsley. You can grind a flower and thus create an original color contrast in a plate. It is quite possible to cook independent meals from pumpkin flowers. To do this, you need to prepare a batter of flour, milk and egg with the addition of salt and ground pepper, and then, dipping flowers in it, fry them in hot vegetable oil. Thanks to the use of batter, pumpkin flowers will not lose shape, but simply get a tasty shell.