Quesadillas De Flor De Calabaza Squash Blossoms Recipes

QUESADILLAS DE FLOR DE CALABAZA (SQUASH-BLOSSOMS)

Steps:

• Set rack in top third of oven, then preheat broiler. Put chilies on a cookie sheet and broil until skin is blistered and charred, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chilies to a deep bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until cool. Peel, stem, seed, and chop chilies, then set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook until liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Add squash blossoms, epazote (if using), and reserved chiles, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until blossoms soften and wilt, 1 1/2-2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside until cool. Add monterey jack and toss until just mixed. Set filling aside.
• If using masa. Form masa into 20 1 1/2'' balls, then loosely cover with plastic wrap. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over base of a tortilla press, draping it over the sides. Place 1 ball of masa on plastic, slightly off-center of the press, towards the hinge. Lay another sheet of plastic wrap over masa, draping it over sides, then close press to flatten masa into a tortilla. Set plastic-covered tortilla aside. Repeat process, draping press with plastic and pressing out tortillas with remaining balls.
• Place 1 tortilla at a time on a flat surface and peel off 1 of the sheets of plastic. Put 2 tablespoons of the filling on half of tortilla; then, holding plastic with one hand, fold other half of tortilla over filling to form a half circle. Press edges together to seal, then set quesadillas aside.
• Lightly grease surface of a large cast-iron skillet with a little lard, then heat over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, remove plastic from quesadillas, then fry quesadillas until crusty and dark brown in patches, about 4 minutes per side. Serve hot.

QUESADILLAS DE FLOR DE CALABAZA (ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS)

Steps:

• Melt bacon grease in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place tortillas in the skillet. Top each tortilla with 1 slice of Manchego cheese and 3 zucchini blossoms. Fold tortillas in half.
• Cook until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese starts to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is crispy, lightly browned, and the cheese has melted, 1 more minute.

GOLDEN SQUASH BLOSSOM CREMA: CREMA DE FLORES DE CALABAZA

Steps:

• The broth: In a 4-quart soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Scoop out half of the onion and set aside. Add the broth and potato, partially cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
• The blossoms: While the broth is simmering, clean the squash blossoms: break off the stems, then the little green sepals that come out from the base of the blossoms (they originally covered the buds). Use your fingers to break loose the long pistils in the center of each flower and discard. With a very sharp knife, cut the blossoms cross-wise into 1/4-inch strips, including the bulbous base.
• Add half the blossoms to the broth and simmer 3 minutes. In a food processor or in batches in a loosely covered blender (or using an immersion blender), puree the mixture; return to the pot.
• The chiles: Roast the chiles directly over the gas flame, on a medium-hot gas grill, or 4 inches below a very hot broiler. Turn occasionally, until blistered and blackened on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes for the flame or grill, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand about 5 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, cut out the seed pod, then quickly rinse to remove straggling bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Finishing the soup: Add the chiles to the soup along with the milk and reserved onion; bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and corn, simmer a couple of minutes, then add the remaining squash blossoms. Simmer a couple of minutes longer (the strips of blossom will soften into deep-golden "streamers"), remove from the heat, stir in the cream, taste, and season with salt. Serve in warm bowls garnished with the chopped epazote or parsley.