Sunday, June 04, 2006

Stanislaus Salad Bowl

Squash Flowers filled with cheese

I've been salivating over so many food posts recently, I decided to add another.

The Modesto Farmer's Market is open again on Thursdays and Saturdays. With homegrown music, homegrown fruits, vegetables, bread, pastries, nuts, cheeses, conserves, dried fruit, plants, etc, it is a feast for all the senses, not the least of which is the sense of community.


Yesterday, with green beans from the market, I made Mrs. B.'s famous green bean salad, posted by Ms.ABCmom yesterday. Breakfast this morning was rellenos de flor de calabaza. Not the healthiest of foods perhaps, it is a treat restricted to when those delicate squash flowers are available. The best squash flowers can come with mini-mini-squashes attached. These did not have the baby squashes, but they were round, plump and delectable. The preparation is simple.

When the squash blossoms are still fresh from the market, gently open the flowers and stuff with small chunks of your favorite cheese. Gently twist the blossoms closed around the cheese and refrigerate until you are ready to fry. Toss the blossoms in flour and salt, dip in egg, (I used egg substitute - I know it is not a diet dish, we were out of eggs), then again in flour and fry lightly in a little olive oil and butter - turn the flowers to fry on all sides. Remove, pat of excess oil with paper towels and serve immediately.

I've seen some intriguing recipes for other rellenos. This clearly is not the only presentation for the succulent squash flower. In Aguascalientes I tasted an amazing sopa de flor de calabaza, second only to the sopa de cilantro we also discovered there.

Squash flowers are generally not available, but you might try at an Asian market.

Today, we are on to tabouli salad, with tomatoes from the market. Had to stop at the Middle Eastern Market for the right kind of bulghur and their special cucumbers, "xiara", I think, in Assyrian (I asked). MsABCmom will probably post that.

I am so glad that the salad bowl that is now homegrown Stanislaus County includes exotic vegetables, fruits, flavors and accents. The melting pot is dead, long live the salad bowl.

2 Comments:

At 3:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a great site, how do you build such a cool site, its excellent.
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At 10:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very pretty design! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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