June 10, 2008

Meal two: Edible flowers? Really?


One of the surprises in this week's box was a small handful of flowers. I recognized them pretty quickly as squash blossoms, but I didn't realize these were edible. Greenling included a recipe for Squash Blossom Soup, but the recipe called for a half-pound of blossoms. I had only 4 or 5, weighing in at maybe 3 ounces. So, I thought, what would my mom do in this situation? "When in doubt," she told me yesterday, "Google it!" Sage advice, really.

A quick Google search later, I found a recipe for a Squash Blossom Frittata. I didn't have everything on the list, but figured I could fudge things a little bit. I was only cooking for myself (Ryan was at art class) and so I knew that if it wasn't perfect, I'd only be disappointing me. And I'm not a very tough critic.

So I sauteed up some sliced baby squash and minced fresh onion. Then I added the blossoms, just for a few seconds. I beat 2 eggs with some milk, and poured it into the pan. When I read "frittata," I was picturing a kind of tart or flat pastry-like thing. But this was more like a squash omelette. I sprinkled asiago and parmesan cheese on top.

It was pretty tasty, but I think next time I will either choose a different blossom recipe (maybe quesadillas with grilled baby squash) or add some savory herbs, like parsley or chives.

Not a disappointment by any means--but it was something that still needs some work. In any case, it was just the right size for dinner.

Since we're eating out tomorrow night with friends, I'll tell you in my next post about my plan for cornbread and beans for lunch. Adios!

1 comments:

dina said...

i sit on the other side of ryan, which means i get to hear him complain almost as much as you do at home... (kidding!). I just read about your squash blossom experiment and if you ever get them again, make squash blossom fritters; sometimes they are just referred to as "stuffed squash blossoms". they are a pretty traditional italian dish my relatives made with our garden ingredients. it's basically herbed ricotta (or marscarpone) inside the blossom, then you dredge it in a seasoned flour mixture and lightly fry it.

i also mentioned some other blogs to ryan but that is just too much for a guy to remember so there they are:

http://noteatingoutinny.com/
http://smittenkitchen.com/
http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/

bon appetit!

--dina