I am a fan of flor de pretty-much-anything: agua de flor de Jamaica, NYC Peruvian-Chinese restaurant Flor de Mayo, the Italian fior di latte, and of course, flor de calabaza. These are squash blossoms picked from summer or winter squash that are eaten before they open up completely. They have a delicately squash-y, sweet, slightly leafy flavor. One classic way to prepare them is fried, with a simple coating of eggs and flour.
To make it: Carefully wash about squash blossoms and remove the calyces/sepals (the little green things sticking out at the base of the flower), and stamens/pistils (the flower’s reproductive organs). Pat them dry. Optional step: stuff each one with a small spoonful of ricotta, goat cheese, or a little piece of mozzarella. Lightly dredge each flower in flour, then beaten egg (I used 1 egg for 15 blossoms and there was extra), then a separate coating of flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Shallow-fry in a pan of hot oil for a couple minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels, and season with an additional sprinkling of salt. Devour immediately. You can even dip them in tomato sauce.
You can also saute squash blossoms and tuck them into corn tortillas (to make tacos or quesadillas) or drape them over risotto, but I’m too hooked on frying them to try either of these options.
This is some of the freshest, easiest shit you can make yourself this summer. And it even looks pretty enough to present to, say, a ladyfriend or manfriend you are trying to impress. Or people who read your food blog. You can even dump it all in a bowl, where it will look ruffly and still pretty, and take it to a potluck or picnic. It takes literally a few minutes to put together if you have a mandoline (I actually have this one) to slice with, and not too much longer if you’re using a good sharp knife.
To make it: Slice zucchini (or any other long summer squash) crosswise, as thinly as possible. Arrange on a plate. Squeeze a good amount of lemon juice all over it, followed by a good amount of salt and black pepper. Top with some kind of nut and some kind of cheese (I did walnuts and feta this time, but pine nuts and shaved Parmesan work well too). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the salad. Top with torn fresh herbs, such as basil (and/or oregano, mint, parsley, dill, thyme… almost anything).
This basic method of shaving fresh raw vegetables and tossing them with this combination of ingredients works with all kinds of things: asparagus, fennel, celery, even beets. You can also toss the vegetables with greens, cooked grains, or pasta. Do a quick search and you’ll find other variations on food blogs and recipe websites.
Goodbye summer (vacation), hello graduate school. I’m savoring the last of the season’s summer produce while I attempt to keep up with all my weekly reading so I don’t feel like a complete doofus in class. These free-form tarts were fun to make, even though it is tempting for me to get all kinds of OCD with the arrangement of the vegetable/fruit pieces. I made a savory ricotta one (followed Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, minus egg glaze and with the addition of tomatoes, and my basil was purple) and a sweet one with some mediocre fruit that I couldn’t stand to waste but also couldn’t stand to eat on its own (same crust as the savory one, with a honey-ricotta mixture, peaches, and sliced almonds were added but not photographed at the end). I also kind of over-filled them, so the crust wasn’t as folded-over. Leftovers were excellent snacks on a 6-hour flight to Tab and Christine’s beautiful and fun-filled wedding (congrats guys!).
Last week I dug out a bag of farro from the back of my pantry to make this recipe from the always-inspiring 101 Cookbooks blog. This week, I tried a roasted vegetable version of it using some of the leftover cooked farro I had. Instead of the usual light and crunchy summer fare, I was craving something with a bit more cool-weather appeal (since it’s so gray and breezy in New York this week… I know, I’m not ready for sleeves either). Roasting the squash and radishes (yeah, roasted radishes) gave them that nutty brown-roasted-vegetable-flavor (pardon my lack of vocabulary on this one) that is good on almost anything. A bowl of this stuff was perfect as a single-serving quick bite to eat. I had it as a side item to go with a sandwich, but it could also be a good one-bowl meal with some beans, shredded chicken, or fried or poached eggs on top.
Farro
Bring farro and water to a boil, then lower heat and cook, partially covered, until tender. It can take as long as an hour, depending on whether or not the grains are semi-pearled (have had some of the outer bran removed). Farro that isn’t pearled can also be soaked in water overnight to cut down on the cooking time. Add salt toward the last 10 minutes or so of cooking.
Roasted Radishes and Summer Squash (fennel would’ve been good too)
Cut vegetables into bite size pieces and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I like to do this directly on a foil-lined toaster oven tray. Roast at 425 degrees until soft and lightly browned (about 20 minutes).
Creamy Dressing
I used a spoonful of homemade crème fraîche (easy instructions here) to make the dressing, but yogurt or buttermilk or sour cream (or no dairy at all) could also be good. Combine a small dollop of crème fraîche with minced onion, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Again, I like to do this directly in the bowl I’m eating out of.
Add farro to dressing and toss to coat. Top with roasted vegetables and chopped fresh herbs.
New favorite summer food: chilled soups. They’re like cold smoothies you drink with a spoon. Or out of a glass with a straw, I don’t see anything wrong with that. And they’re great when you feel like eating your fruits and veggies in something other than a salad.
Chilled Watermelon and Cucumber Soup
Kind of like gazpacho, but not completely. I blended chunks of watermelon, peeled cucumber, orange bell pepper, and red onion with salt, pepper, lime juice, and mint, then drizzled a little olive oil on top.
Summer Squash and Buttermilk Soup
Found this one on 101 Cookbooks. A nice way to get some extra squash and leftover buttermilk off your hands.
Cold Borscht
Classic! Simmer some chopped beets and onions in broth, then let it cool down. Add matchsticks of cucumbers and radishes, along with some yogurt or sour cream, fresh dill, parsley, and scallions.
