July 21, 2012 dinner - Stuffed Squash Blossoms and Corn on the Cob

We went in different directions today. Suzette went to the Farmer’s Market while I prepared for a trial and lunched on chirashi at Azuma with Karim Kassam  Karim and his wife are the leaders of the Ismaeli community in Albuquerque so I was pleased to learn a little bit about that sect of Islam.

After lunch I went to The Center for Ageless Living for a massage.  Suzette was preparing the pool deck for re-painting at 5:00 p.m, after which she was dirty and did not wish to eat at the Greenhouse Bistro and Bakery, so we drove home.

When we got home Suzette said that she had purchased a bag of squash blossoms and ears of fresh corn at the Farmer’s Market an she suggested stuffing them and frying the squash blossoms and boiling the corn for a light dinner.

Suzette quickly found a recipe for stuffed squash blossoms on the internet.

The Batter

1 cup flour

½ cup cornstarch

½ tsp. salt

1 cup fat free chilled milk, beer or water (we used 2% milk)

 

Cheese-Mushroom Stuffing

¼ cup ricotta (we used California Goat cheese)

1 clove garlic (we used  fresh cloves)

¼  tsp. each salt and pepper

2 Tbsp mushrooms, finely chopped (we chopped 4 Tbsp.)

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, or parsley, minced

16 squash blossoms, washed

Canola oil for frying

Batter – sift together dry ingredients, whtn whisk with milk, beer or water until smooth.  Cover and set in fridge for 30 minutes.  Can be kept up to 2 days in fridge.

Stuffing – combine cheese, garlic, salt pepper, mushrooms and basil.  Open blossoms and spoon about 1/2 tsp. (we put about 1 tsp. in each) of mixture into center of each.  Avoid over filling the blossoms. Twist the top of each blossom together to close.  Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Pour oil into skillet to a depth of ½ inch. Heat over high heat until a small cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown within seconds.

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 comfortably fit in the skillet.  Transfer with a slotted utensil to paper towels to drain briefly.

While  the squash blossoms were cooking I gathered a handful of basil leaves from the garden and sliced fresh yellow and red tomatoes that had been grown in Suzette’s garden and she bought at the Farmer’s Market and made an arrangement of eight slices of tomato on a plate with a basil leaf on each.  When the 16 squash blossoms were all cooked we put a squash blossom on each leaf of basil and then Suzette drizzled them with balsamic vinegar like a caprese salad with 8 per plate and put an ear of corn on each plate.  I cut a few slices of apple to garnish each plate.

I opened a bottle of Toulouse Rosé of Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, California and we enjoyed an elegant vegetarian meal.

Bon Appétit