They were delicious and surprisingly filling, and we still got the flavor of the flowers through the tempura coating. I think the base for the stuffing is traditionally goat cheese, but since the grocery store didn't have it on sale I used cream cheese instead.
Here's my general recipe if you want to try it:
15-20 fresh male squash blossoms, stamens and spiky sepals removed
filling:
1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
splash of cream
some chopped herbs, like basil, thyme, parsley, and dill
1/2 garlic clove, minced
black pepper
salt
frying:
veg or canola oil
tempura mix
Combine the filling stuff and put a spoonful of the mix in each blossom, then gently twist the ends of the blossom together to contain the filling.
Heat up the oil and mix together about 1/2 cup of tempura mix and cold water.
Lightly coat the blossoms in the tempura mix and drop in the oil (I used a 9-inch fry pan with about 1/2 inch of oil). Turn the blossoms after about a minute, fry another minute and then remove and drain.
I would have made a dipping sauce, but I couldn't think of something that would go well and I didn't want to wait any longer to stuff the blossoms in my face. Something fresh tomato-based might be nice, but these are rich enough that you probably wouldn't want a creamy dip.
Enjoy!
