The large yellow blossoms produced by pumpkin and squash plants have a long history as a delicacy among Native Americans, Rosalind Creasy writes in her book "The Edible Flower Garden." Pumpkin blossoms can be stuffed and baked or sliced and used in soup, egg, pasta or salad recipes. Another way to cook the blossoms is to batter and deep-fry them. If you have a garden and have wondered in the past what to do with all of the pumpkins you grow, eating the blossoms will help you use even more of each gourd.
Wash the pumpkin blossoms in cool water. Gently pat the blossoms dry with paper towels. Leave the stems intact. Set the blossoms aside.
Prepare your batter. Add the flour, baking powder, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients. Add the water and eggs. Whisk the batter until all of the ingredients are well incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Heat the oil in the frying pan to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Dip one blossom at a time into the batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Fry only four or five blossoms at a time, ensuring not to crowd the pan. The pumpkin blossoms should not be touching each other in the pan.
Fry the blossoms for around two minutes on each side or until they are golden brown, turning once. Remove the pumpkin blossoms with a large slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain. Continue to fry the blossoms in batches until they are all cooked. Serve immediately.