Does your home garden leave you with more zucchini than you and your neighbors can handle? Nip that problem in the bud by picking, frying and eating the flowers. It’s an Italian side dish that’s light, unique and a perfect accompaniment to anything roasted or baked as they’re best eaten immediately after they’re made. Fry them up while the main course is resting after its sojourn in the oven.

Ingredient list for 2 servings; may be doubled or tripled as your squash plants bloom

• 8 summer squash flowers – zucchini or yellow squash
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg – beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

• Prepare flowers by washing them thoroughly, opening them up and pinching off the hard stigma inside the flower. The stems are edible.
• Put milk in a flat bowl.
• Beat egg in another flat bowl.
• Mix flour with basil and pepper in another flat bowl.
• Heat oil in fry pan on medium high heat.
• Dip one blossom at a time in milk. Let excess drain back into bowl. Dip into flour, shake off excess. Dip into egg and lay blossom in fry pan. Repeat with remaining blossoms.
• Cook until lightly brown, drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Note: They’re best made when fresh, but you can make do with what Mother Nature sends your way. If you don’t have an overabundance of blossoms, pick them early in the morning as they open and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge until you have enough to fry.