11/19/2023 0 Comments Squash blossom![]() Originally cultivated in the Middle East, the pomegranate spread east to China and west to Africa, and eventually proliferated in southern Spain. The squash blossom bead bears an even more striking resemblance to the pomegranate fruit, the image of which has been a recurring motif in art and literature for more than 2000 years. Seems like a simple answer, right? Maybe, but digging deeper into the history of the Southwest and the passage of symbols across cultures, the answer may be even more interesting than that. These beads do, in fact, resemble the blossom of a flowering squash plant - and to further support this interpretation, squash was one of the primary crops (along with beans and corn) that sustained the Native people of the Southwest, and is referred to as one of the four sacred plants of the Navajo. Most agree that the term “Squash Blossom” refers to the unique, integral flared beads that line a Squash Blossom necklace. Where did the name “Squash Blossom” come from? As with many native cultures, wealth was often worn in the form of adornment, and in many early photographs of the Navajo and other Southwestern Native peoples, it is clear that Squash Blossom Necklaces were worn with pride and reverence for their beauty and inherent value. These ornaments soon made their way onto necklaces that graced the necks of the local populace.Īs the Navajo began to learn the art of silversmithing in the late 1800s (a craft also attributed to continued contact with the Spanish and Spanish Mexicans), these metal adornments were probably recreated in silver form and strung together with beads formed from silver coins to form a proper necklace. The Navajo were certainly among the first to work with metals, perhaps initially capturing or trading for simple iron adornments from Spanish soldiers as well as their horse bridles and saddles. While the Native people of the Southwest had long histories of jewelry making and personal adornment, it wasn’t until contact with the Spanish that they began to incorporate metals into their work. Today, the Squash Blossom is an art form made by many Native and non-Native artists throughout the Southwest and beyond. Soon thereafter, however, most neighboring Southwest tribes had incorporated the necklace into their jewelry designs as well. It is believed that the Navajo (or Diné) people were the first to adopt the Squash Blossom Necklace design, sometime in the late 1870s. A variation on this, for those who want to retain the original color and shape of the squash blossoms, is to skip sautéing them and simply place them on the pizza during the final five minutes of baking.When were the first Squash Blossom Necklaces made? Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is brown. Sautee the squash blossoms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic until tender and flat and distribute evenly across the pizza. Decorate the pizza with the leek rounds and grated mozzarella cheese or small mozzarella balls. Cut the leek into thin rounds, working your way up from the white end to the tender green stalk (discard the thick green top). Baste the pizza crust surface with the red pepper pesto. Process until smooth, adding additional water if needed to make a thick paste. Put them in a food processor with the red peppers, basil, Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil and a few tablespoons of water. Toast the pine nuts in the oven until brown. Prepare the pizza dough from your favorite recipe or substitute a store bought pizza crust (I prefer an organic cornmeal crust from a specialty market). They usually bloom first and help pollinate the female blossoms so don’t harvest all of them. The male blossoms, on the other hand, are expendable and delicious. The female blossom will produce fruit so you shouldn’t pick these unless you have a large abundance of them. Squash blossoms can be either male or female. The best time to pick them are in the early morning around 7 a.m. Blossoms from zucchini squash are usually preferred because the blooms are bigger and less fragile than yellow squash blossoms. But there are other recipes for these delicate but subtly flavored blooms such as baked stuffed squash blossoms and red pepper pesto pizza with mozzarella and squash blossoms.įirst, you need to know when to harvest them if you are growing squash. ![]() Fried squash blossoms, often containing a stuffing of ricotta cheese and herbs, are a popular appetizer that some restaurants serve for a limited time during the season. The next time you grow squash in your garden, either zucchini or the yellow variety, you might want to consider harvesting the squash blossoms they produce as well.
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