Cooked or raw, squash blossoms taste and look good

Sunset, July, 1987

About 2 tablespoons all-purposeflour

2 large eggs

Salad oil

Fresh tomato relish (recipe follows)

6 or 12 springs fresh tarragon orwatercress

Pinch and discard stems from centers ofblossoms. Rinse blossoms gently; drain cup side down.

Put flour in a bowl or bag; in another bowlor an 8- or 9-inch-wide pan, beat eggs to blend. Coat 1 blossom at a time lightly with flour; shake off excess. Dip blossom into egg, lift out, and drain briefly. With your fingers, spread petals open, if desired. Add coated flowers to about 1 inch salad oil heated to 400| in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan and cook until light golden brown, about 30 seconds; turn as needed or push down into oil. If you want to preserve the open shape of the flowers, cook blossoms in about 2 inches of oil in a deep 2- to 3-quart pan. Drain fried flowers on paper towels.

Serve hot or at room temperature. (Ifmade ahead, let stand at room temperature, lightly covered, up to 8 hours; to reheat, arrange in a single layer in a 10- by 15-inch pan and place, uncovered, in a 450| oven until hot, about 5 minutes.)

Accompany fried blossoms with fresh tomatorelish; if desired, fill each blossom with 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the relish. Garnish servings with tarragon sprigs. Allow 1 large or 2 medium blossoms as a portion. Makes 6 first-course servings.

Fresh tomato relish. Core, seed, and finelychop 1 large firm-ripe tomato. Mix with 1 tablespoon each olive or salad oil, red wine vinegar, and minced shallot; 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/4 teaspoon dry tarragon); and salt and pepper to taste.

Squash Blossom Crepes

20 to 30 medium (2- to 3-in.-long)squash blossoms

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

10 crepes (recipe follows)

5 ounces (about 2/3 cup) chevre (goat)cheese or camembert cheese

10 tablespoons chopped chives orgreen onion

30 whole chives or 10 stems from thetops of green onions, each 10 to 12 inches long

Pinch and discard stems from centers ofblossoms. Rinse blossoms gently; drain cup side down.

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan overmedium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add blossoms all at once and stir occasionally until lightly wilted, about 2 minutes; set aside.

Lay crepes out flat, one at a time. Topeach with 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon chives, and 2 or 3 sauteed squash blossoms. Fold crepe ends in slightly, then roll each crepe to enclose filling; put aside, seam side down.

Cluster 3 whole chives or use 1 greenonion stem to wrap around middle of each filled crepe and tie in a knot; trim ends. Repeat for each crepe. Lay crepes, seams down and side by side, in a 9- by 13-inch oval or rectangular baking dish or pan.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter andpour over tops of crepes. (If made ahead, cover and chill up to 1 day.)

Bake, covered, in a 350| oven until crepesare steaming hot when uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes from room temperature, 30 minutes if chilled. Serve as a first course with 1 or 2 as a portion. Serves 5 to 10.

Crepes. In a blender or food processor,whirl 3 large eggs and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and whirl until smooth.