Food Goal Level “Squash Blossoms” Achieved

Soon after meeting Founding Foodie Amy, some nine years ago, I realized I had so much to learn. One spring afternoon, she served me something I had no idea was a thing: squash blossoms. Little delicate beauties stuffed with a savory cheesy concoction. Mind … blown.

I thought of myself as a Padawan learner; Amy, a food Jedi master. She introduced me to so many things and I’ve learned a ton from her since then. Our bond formed over food, cooking and delicious ingredients. It’s why we do this blog together, nearly five years strong without missing a single weekly post. And still … there is much to learn!

This month’s “lesser used spring veggie” topic brought me smack right back to that warm day in Amy’s old condo. I haven’t had squash blossoms since – not at a restaurant, let alone in my own kitchen. Could the Padawan become a Jedi master? Well, I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level, but it’s always good to have goals. Perhaps I could graduate to being a Jedi knight?

Off I went on my journey to continue my training, much like Luke Skywalker when he went to the Dagobah system to run with Yoda on his back. It was a pleasant April Saturday morning, when I walked to my local farmer’s market in search of some inspiration. I met my other bestie, Julie, also on her own food journey. She’s completed her first 30 days on Whole30 and is still going strong. The farmer’s market is a great place to find new ideas. After talking to a local sausage maker she walked away with some great nitrate-free and diet approved spicy sausage, plus some ham from a local ranch.

So what did I walk home with? Squash blossoms, of course! Or, more accurately, a hanging zucchini plant flush with flowers. After a quick Google search I asked a local purveyor of produce and plants about eating the blossoms from the squash or zucchini plants. He showed me which ones to eat and directed me to a plant that had some good ones ripe for picking. As Julie looked on in like I was a crazy person (“You eat which what?”), I paid my $10 for the plant. One plus? I get to eat zucchinis from my deck. I’m not a gardener, although I have aspirations … lazy aspirations.

My internet searches wrangled up some quick guides on how to pick, prepare and cook the blossoms. The Kitchn has a a good, high level post which helped me identify which were the male and which were the female. Yes, it matters! The female produce the squash, so if you want them later on, it’s best to harvest the male blossoms. You can spot the difference pretty easily – male blossoms appear on longer stems, further from the center of the plant. They also do not have pistils and are much more slender than their female counterparts. Once cut, use fairly soon. Since they are so delicate, they don’t last long. Also, if you’ve ever grown squash or know a gardener who has, you know how out of hand they can get. Almost too many to keep up with! Eating the blossoms are a great way to keep your plants in check.

Other than the one preparation I’ve had, I wasn’t too sure what to make with them. They have a light savory flavor. Much like other flowers and blossoms they take on a hint of the flavor of the fruit or vegetable they produce. In this case, they have a light zucchini flavor. The most common preparation is to stuff and/or lightly batter and fry them. I also saw some pasta recipes, pizza topping ideas, egg casseroles and frittatas, soups and fritters, along with several quesadilla recipes. The possibilities are endless and super simple.

The idea of a delicate savory flower tucked into a cheesy, crispy tortilla got my Jedi senses all afire. Quesadillas it is! What I made was more like a tiny snack sized version, since I used the smaller corn tortillas. But don’t let that stop you from going bigger. The more the merrier and these did not disappoint.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas
I used corn tortillas, so they were more like flat, squished tacos or mini-quesadillas. You can use larger flour tortillas for a more traditional quesadilla, just increase the amounts to cover a larger surface. Note, the amounts here make 8, assuming 2 per person, to serve 4; adjust as needed.

16 squash blossoms
8 corn tortillas
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (substitute cheddar, pepper jack or some combination)
1 spring onion or 2 scallions, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1 lime, cut in wedges

Warm a cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan for a few seconds to warm one side. Flip and sprinkle cheese, cilantro and onion on one side of the tortilla. Place two blossoms on top of the cheese side, then fold the tortilla in half, covering the cheese and blossoms. Press down with spatula, then flip to warm/crisp the other side.

Remove from heat, sprinkle more cilantro on top. Serve with avocado slices and a squeeze of lime.

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Posted in Dear Diary

“Never Rest On Your Morels” Risotto

I only use the title above because the Washington Post beat me to my original idea, The Morel Of The Story, in 2008. Such is life.

That would have been a perfect description of what I’ve done, though. Perfect, because this is a story about not waiting until the week before your post is due to try and find an elusive key ingredient… the star of the show… the only thing that really matters when you’re writing about the unique bounty of Spring… the morels.

Hence the “moral” of my story.

But, honestly, this WaPo nonsense isn’t such a bad thing, because the title I’ve ended up with here truly describes what I have had to do to turn this week around. You see, to “rest on one’s laurels” (or “morels” here) means “to be satisfied with one’s past success and to consider further effort unnecessary” according to this website. I’ve done posts in the past requiring all manor of strange ingredients, from kefir to pomegranate molasses. Finding those things was never as difficult as tracking down mushrooms… which grow in the ground.

Not like that was my first thought. No, first I went to Facebook after seeing writer and fellow foodie, Nevin Martell’s plea for the earthy things there, too. Clearly this guy knows his fungi. Sadly, nothing panned out. Strike one.

Next, I figured… I got this. I’ll just go out and pick some. So I started researching. I found so many awesome articles about morel hunting. Standouts include write ups on sites like Wide Open Spaces, The Mushroom Farm and Mother Earth News. Then I came upon this one in Field & Stream, which references a morel-look-alike that causes those who ingest it, “cramps or other forms of gastrointestinal distress.” Yeah. No, thanks. Strike two.

My last ditch effort included a trip to Whole Foods… where morels are sold for a premium. When they say “whole paycheck,” they are NOT kidding. Strike three. So I purchased some lovely dried porcinis for about $1o and headed home.

Thankfully, the recipe I’d chosen was originally made with porcini, anyway. But if you happen upon some morels, let me know how it turns out.

And maybe where to look next time…

Mushroom Risotto

2 ounces dried porcini
2 cups water
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot
1 garlic clove
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup + 1-2 tablespoons sherry
1 small bay leaf
2 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 3 ounces), plus a bit extra to shave on top
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms (or substitute morels and reduce porcini to 1 ounce)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups arugula
4 tablespoons fresh pesto, if desired (we love this Serious Eats recipe)

Boil water. Add dried porcini to a glass bowl or measuring cup and pour water over. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to soften, about 10 minutes.

Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Rinse mushroom, chop finely and set aside. Pour the reserved mushroom liquid in a medium-sized saucepan and stir in the chicken stock. Warm over low to medium heat.

Clean and slice mushrooms, then brown according to the instructions in this article, using one spring of time and sherry. Set aside.

Mince the shallot and garlic. In a large sauté or other wide-brimmed pan, heat two tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add shallot and garlic and cook over medium until softened and shallot is slightly translucent (about two minutes). Add the rice and porcini, stirring to coat, and allow to cook for an additional two minutes. Add the sherry and bay leaf, cooking until the liquid has been absorbed.

Add about a cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all is absorbed. Add another cup, repeating the process until the rice is al dente and suspended in a creamy sauce. The entire process should take about twenty minutes.

Pick out and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the mushrooms, butter and parmesan cheese; season with additional fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

Lightly dress the arugula with olive oil. Spoon risotto into low-rimmed bowls and top with arugula, pesto (if desired) and fresh shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy!

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Posted in Dear Diary

Early Spring Onions: A Grilled Reprieve From Winter

Look out the window … yes, right now. I’ll wait.

It’s spring, yes, SPRING! Trees are blossoming, grass is greening, the days are getting longer. We love it. Especially the the beautiful vegetables it brings to our tables.

Last Monday, March 20, marked the first day of the season. I actually felt a bit lighter, “springier” if you will. This last week has brought chilly mornings and some rain storms, along with some temperate, sunny afternoons. All of which marks a good start. Here in Virginia, this time doesn’t seem to last very long. A couple of weeks and the humidity and heat sets in until October. (I might be exaggerating … but not about the humidity.)

Us Eaters are all a bit “twitterpated” over it, so this month we’re featuring the lesser known, lesser used (but oh so loved) spring veggies. Think ramps, garlic scapes, fiddle head ferns and dandelion greens, just to name a few. These may be hard to come by and not readily available at your standard grocer. An ill timed trip to the farmers market – too late or too early – and you may miss them there as well. Some you can forage yourself, or buy from speciality retailers. A few years ago I was lucky enough to get my mitts on some West Virginia ramps thanks to a local food delivery service I was a member of, Relay Foods. When I saw they were available, it was a no brainer: delivered right to my door where I used them in simple scrambled eggs and compound butter. I still have dreams about them.

At the moment, here in Virginia, we’re still a bit on the early side of these spring veggie seasonal debuts. While my local farmer’s market in Manassas opens all year long in some form or another, it was closed this week transitioning from their winter to spring season market. Once it’s open this Thursday morning I plan on stalking it, then again on Saturday morning, in the hopes of running into one of these hidden beauties.

I was bummed I wasn’t able to do a weekend farmers market run to grab the latest-in-season veggie, run home and wing a dish for y’all. It’s just a tad too early. Instead I ran to my nearest Whole Foods early on a Sunday morning in hopes to beat the madness. As it’s still early in the season, there wasn’t much at all. The local produce pretty much only consisted of greenhouse raised micro-greens. I settled on some spring onions, not as rarified as ramps, but they are an early spring veggie that isn’t used quite as often. At least I don’t use them all that often.

You may be thinking these are just green onions or scallions. Close, but no! While the other two are indeed the same and all three are the same in Canada and the United Kingdom, it turns out spring onions are a different “animal”. This, coupled with the close resemblance, is all a bit confusing. Spring onions, planted in the fall and harvested in the early spring, have a small bulbous onion at the base. The white bulb is sweeter and more mellow, while the green stalks are more intense than their scallion cousins. You may be able to get away with interchanging them in recipes, but, as noted in this Kitchn article, if the recipe calls for raw scallions, you may not want to use spring onions as the flavor will be more intense.

Having never used them before and noting their similarity to scallions and leeks, I opted to do a really simple grilled preparation. With the warmer weather we’ve been grilling a lot more, mostly simple marinated chicken, which these spring onions would be a perfect accompaniment to. Scallions and leeks grilled are amazaballs … why would spring onions be any different?

They did not disappoint! A little olive oil brushed on with salt and pepper … simple perfection.

Grilled Spring Onion
You can use this preparation with virtually any vegetable when grilling. Spring onions, scallions and leeks work well since you don’t have to do much slicing, if at all, and hold up very well on a grill.

Ingredients
bunch of spring onions
olive oil
salt and pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Cut the spring onions down the center of the white bulb and through the green stalks, until the whole thing is cut into two. Place on a baking sheet or large board.

Drizzle with olive oil and brush to coat. Sprinkle or grind salt and pepper, to taste. Turn over onions and repeat with oil and seasonings.

Grill on one side for 5 minutes, turn over and grill for another 2-5 minutes until charred and tender.

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Posted in Dear Diary
photo credit to Aaron Otis Photography 2014


July
Watermelon is the perfect summer food. It hydrates, it cools, it's sweet and juicy. We have some great ideas for your table, including a salad, ceviche cups, popsicles and cocktails. Get ready to beat the heat with us!