blossom

I've been ravenous lately. Like. All. The. Time. It's gotten to the point where I am eating faster than I can write. It's a good thing then, that squash blossoms speak volumes, and when they made it into my afternoon snack, I was all ears.

Here's what they had to say:

* I didn't know whether to put them in a vase or eat them.

And these lovelies were happy to join in the fun.

This little guy came with an extra bit of loveliness. It's little things like this that make me remember that there is beauty all around. I've only to be mindful.

Cherry bombs are always a thrilling little surprise.

What would summer be without basil? I don't know. And neither would this frittata be as sweet without a chiffonade of its brilliance. Just a few leaves, four, perhaps five. Save the rest to brighten this week's remaining days.

I arranged a few blossoms in a pan to see how many I would need. Twelve of them volunteered to get involved.

Diced those three squash you saw just above.

There was an onion, half anyway, that fit right in and cooked unto a lovely brown.

Seed me. Dice me. Love me do.

A tender kaleidoscope before long, in my beloved and most seasoned cast iron pan. Don't forget to salt. Now add your chiffonade.

Six eggs. Whisked. Salted. Poured over the kaleidoscope of veg. Now nestle the blossoms in as far as they will go, gently, and pop under a blazing broiler. Have a seat, on the ground, next to the broiler, and wait... pushing the blossoms down gently every now and again into the egg. It's best to keep them submerged.

The egg will puff and brown.

Is the center set just so? It's done.

Let it cool a bit, in the pan. With a little loosening around the edge, it will slide out effortlessly. Like summer.

I made some pesto...

But it doesn't need anything at all. Just a fork and a ravenous you.

* A note on squash blossoms: if you've the type with a small squash attached, you've a female. Should your blossoms come affixed with stems as above, you've got male blossoms. Either can be used. If you are fortunate enough to have females, go ahead and use the squash attached in this recipe. Their flavor is tantamount, and the employment of the blossoms is one and the same.

Mangia bene, vivi felice!