I prefer Trombocino Rampicante sauteed with garlic, too. I picked mine smaller than you did. When small, they have a mealy texture when steamed.

When they get to the winter squash stage, they seem quite similar to spaghetti squash to me. I baked them then. I grew TR on a fence with Cucuzzi gourds last year. A good combination for variety.

I am not growing TR this year because I have several winter varieties of C. moschata (butternuts, Tahitian squash and Rumbo Korean pumkin). TR and the winter squashes of this species cross-pollinate, adversely affecting both. I'm doing some little hybridization experiments on a few fruits of the winter squash. Unlike the C. pepo squashes and pumpkins, cross-pollination of C. moschata squashes seems to affect the shape and quality of the fruit the year you cross-pollinate. Like corn. Maybe it's just natural variability in the fruits, but I don't think so.

Another big plus to this great squash is the inexhaustable supply of male flowers. I love stuffed squash blossoms and after having tried flowers from tons of varieties and types, i find those of TR to be of good size, texture and flavor, and very abundant.

natasja

Tuso,

How do you make your stuffed squash blossoms?

Another nice feature of this plant is that, as a C. moschata variety, the plants are not spiny like zucchini. Good thing, since the plants grow so large. The plants are also somewhat more heat tolerant than some other types of squash.

I have 2 ways that i typically prepare my blossoms. To me the simplist and the best to show of their delicate flavor is to stuff them with a mixture of fresh cheese (ricotta is best) beaten with an egg, a touch of chopped garlic, chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper. These i usually dredge in just flour and i fry them in about 1 1/2 inch of olive oil until golden. i don't recommend using any sort of batter or dredging in egg before frying, its way to heavy for the delicate texture and taste.

The other way is asian style stuffed with ground pork mixed with egg and seasoned lightly with ginger, garlic, chives, salt and pepper. These i steam like dim sum. It takes longer to cook than frying but served with a little soy or light dipping sauce, they are delicous.

My sister in law stuffs them with a bechamel sauce. Delicious, but i don't always have the patience to cook the bechamel first, let it cool down, etc,

do you have any favorite ways to serve them? Always looking for new ideas...

Natasja

Natasja,

Those ideas sound better than any of mine.

Wow...stuffed asian style sounds yummy. i also love ricotta cheese yummss. I've never had squash blossoms before. In all the many years that we have grown summer and winter squashes, I have never tried them. Can I use the male squash blossoms from winter squashes too for stuffing???

sure, you can use blossms from most c. maxima and c. moschata varities. The bigger the squash the bigger the flower, and the bigger the flower, the easier to stuff. Not sure why, but it seems to me that the blossoms from c. moschata are more perfumed. I am basing that on having used butternut, musquee de provence and TR blossoms, which are all c. moschata.

Do give them a try. The first batch might be frustrating until you get the hang of stuffing. As the flowers are a little delicate it can be a bit tricky. If i am doing a dozen or more i usually use a pastry bag, and i'm sure a cookie press would work as well. With the pastry bag, its a lot less messy and the job gets done in a quarter of the time. Also i find it helpful if you put the flowers in a tupperware container and keep them in the fridge so they maintain their rigidity until you are ready to stuff them.

Or don't stuff them at all and fry the flowers dredged in flour, salt and pepper. Great as a garnish.