Labor of Love and Squash Blossoms

There's a squash jungle in our backyard. It has never sprouted there before.

On Labor Day, I decided to harvest the squash flowers and the tendrils--the tips of the crawling vine with young leaves on it. I was kitchenomically inspired to transform it into a veggie meal. I've been meaning to try that eversince I saw squash flowers sold at the markets in the Philippines years ago.

The hairy stems can be slightly irritating to the skin, though. But I enjoyed snipping them away. I would later find out that squash flowers can be either male or female, which you can determine by inspecting the stamen. The male stamen is, as expected, pointy, whereas the female one is curled downwards. The female flower is naturally the one that becomes the squash.

I researched the recipe online and found an easy one that's akin to making the vegetable mish-mash dish, "Pinakbet." I sauteed garlic, onions, tomatoes, and shrimp then added the squash blossoms and tendrils. Add some seasoning (I also added shrimp paste to enhance the flavor), simmered for a bit, and bam! Lunch is served!

I'm no chef, but I go by the rule that certain dishes share a common "template." I used "pinakbet" for this one, and it guided my hand like a shining spatula in a dark kitchenscape. It did not disappoint. It also felt good eating it because it's green, leafy, and...flowery!

Sometimes you have to stop, smell, and eat the flowers.