Possibilities/Garden Update

Hello All,


I hope you all are having a great week so far. It is Hump Day only half a week left before the weekend! What are you excited about today? I am excited about possibilities! The possibility of new and better things. Take some time today just a minute or two and think of positive possibilities, then write them down and save them. Every now and then pull your list out and work on it. Nothing is too small. A book you want to read, a class you want to take, dance with someone, do something unexpected! In a month or two look at the list and see what you have done, then add more. We should all have something to look forward to or work toward. So here is to dancing to your life! Enjoy it, have fun with it. Many adults are too serious! Why? We forget how to play, how to be in awe of things, how to have fun. Dance in the rain, play in the dirt, laugh at silly things, and most of all live the life you have been blessed with. 

I am excited about our garden here at the Kendrick Homestead :)

The caterpillars have definitely thinned out and the plants are doing great overall. My pumpkins died but I am pretty sure that was due to error on my part. I was not watering them enough and I am going to try again with those. Everything else is doing very well. Also, the worms are doing great too. It is almost time to do the first harvest of the castings to use as fertilizer in the garden. I will be doing a blog on that soon.

The Summer Squash is doing exceptionally well ! Thanks to a few friends, V, H, & A. (You know who you are) I learned that the flowers are edible and supposed to be very delicious. I will be going out in the morning and picking a few blossoms to try in a recipe. Multiple people have mentioned having them with scrambled eggs and I think I may try that in the morning.

Yellow Summer Squash

Make sure that you wash the flowers well and remove the stamen (from male flowers) and the ovaries (from the female flowers). I have read that the female flowers are sweeter than the male flowers but many prefer the male flowers because they do not like the texture or dealing with the ovaries in the female flowers.

Male flower on left, Female flower on right

The flowers last no longer than a day or two so should be used as soon as possible.

Here is a list of recipes that I found by Google-ing Squash Blossom Recipes: (If you try any of these let me know what you thought of them).

Battered Squash Blossoms

(With or Without Stuffing)

The Batter:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fat-free chilled milk, beer or water

Cheese-Mushroom Stuffing:

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

2 tablespoon mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, minced

16 large squash blossoms, washed

Canola oil for frying

1. Prepare the batter first. Sift together dry ingredients, then whisk in milk, beer or cold water until smooth. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Leftover batter can be stored for up to two days. If it is too thick after refrigeration, add a few drops of water to return to original consistency.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, mushrooms and basil. Open the blossoms and spoon about one 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture into the center of each. Avoid overfilling the blossoms. Twist the top of each blossom together to close. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat over high heat until a small cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown within seconds.

4. Briefly dip each stuffed blossom into the batter, then carefully slip into the hot oil. Cook until golden on all sides, about three minutes total cooking time. Add only as many blossoms at a time as will fit comfortably in the skillet. Transfer with a slotted utensil to paper towels to drain briefly.

5. Sprinkle with salt, if desired and serve immediately.

NOTE: In place of the cheese-mushroom stuffing, try another of your favorite bread or meat stuffings.

Squash Blossom Frittata

3-4 blossoms

1-2 baby squash

4 eggs

Dash of milk

2 green onions

Asiago cheese

Chopped parsley and snipped chives (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pick 3 to 4 blossoms per person and 1 or 2 baby yellow or green summer squash. Rinse blossoms well and drain on paper towels.

2. Beat 4 eggs with a little milk. Add fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. In a non-stick pan, saute a little butter and cook 2 green onion and thinly sliced baby squash just until soft. Then quickly saute the blossoms for about 30 seconds and remove from pan.

4. Pour egg mix into pan, sprinkle and arrange the onions, squash and blossoms on top and cook over low to medium heat until almost set. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese and put under the broiler until lightly puffed and browned.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced

10 squash blossoms

1/2 cup chicken stock

3 sprigs fresh epazote, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 flour tortillas

1/4 pound grated Mexican white cheese

Olive oil, butter or margarine, for cooking

1. Heat a large saute pan with a little oil and saute the onion, garlic, and the roasted poblano pepper for 5 minutes, until the onions have become translucent. Then, add the squash blossoms and deglaze with chicken stock. Add the epazote, and cook for another 5 minutes until squash blossoms have wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.

2. To compose the quesadilla, lay two of the tortillas on a flat surface. Distribute the cheese equally on both tortillas. Then, spread 1/2 of the squash blossom filling over the cheese. Cover with the other tortillas, place on heated griddle or nonstick saute pan with a little olive oil, butter or margarine, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. When golden brown on each side, remove and cut into quarters.

Squash Blossom Hush Puppies

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or ground cayenne pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Wet Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons corn oil or bacon drippings

Vegetables:

1/4 cup minced onion

8 to 10 squash blossoms, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh corn kernels

Corn or canola oil for frying

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Beat lightly with a fork to blend.

3. Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a deep-fat fryer or a large, heavy pot (to a depth of about 3 inches.) When ready to cook, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the vegetables. Mix until just combined. Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil and brown on all sides, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

NOTE: Hush puppies should be golden and crisp on the outside, and tender and moist inside. If the first batch turns out too dry, moisten the batter with more milk.

Squash Blossom Soup

1/4 stick butter

1 onion, sliced

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound squash blossoms (about 4 cups)

1 cup half and half

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Grated anejo cheese (for garnish)

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the onions, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook about five minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 to 12 minutes add the blossoms and cook 5 minutes longer.

2. Transfer soup to food processor and puree until smooth. Strain soup back into saucepan. Pour in the half and half and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and top with grated anejo cheese, a dry, crumbly Mexican cheese somewhat like Parmesan, which can be used instead, for a somewhat different taste.

Have a great day and as always love to you all,

Sharon