Recipe: Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Posted on | July 27, 2010 | 18 Comments

It’s zucchini season in New England. I picked up a bunch of zucchini blossoms from my local farmer’s market over the weekend. I’ve never actually stuffed my own but I have spotted recipes a hundred times in magazines and online. Then, last week I was watching a Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie where this amazing Italian women was frying up a few—I’ve been dreaming about them ever since.

The process is pretty simple. Cut off the stems from each of the blossoms, make a small slice down the side of the blossom, remove the stamen, and give the flowers a cold water rinse. After reading a few different recipes I came up with my own adaption of the cheese stuffing. Ricotta is usually the base and other cheeses and herbs are added. Stuff each blossom with your cheese mixture, taking care to fold the petal over the hole for a nice seal. Dredge in an egg/flour mixture. Heat skillet with a substantial amount of olive oil for frying—about an inch. Fry three or four blossoms at a time. They are delicate so try not to overcrowd them. Remove from oil and top with fresh grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

Cheese Mixture
1 cup of fresh ricotta (I used Narragansett Creamery’s Renaissance Ricotta, amazing!)
1/2 cup feta
2 handfuls of flat leaf parsley
1 handful of basil
S&P

Marblehead Farmers Market
Marblehead Veterans Middle School
217 Pleasant Street
Saturdays 9-12

Category: recipes

Making Strawberry Jam

Posted on | June 28, 2010 | 23 Comments

We had a temporary reprieve from the heat over the weekend. The heat has been so intense the strawberries I picked a few weeks ago quickly turned moldy within a few days. I know, I know, I should have chopped them up and froze them as soon as I got home. I screwed up. I cheated and bought four quarts of fresh strawberries from the farmer’s market on Saturday. But hey, they’re still fresh, local, and organic so I’m only slightly lazy.

Strawberry season is coming to a close in southern New England but the berries were still perfectly sweet. I chopped up about 8 cups and added 6 cups of sugar to a large pot. (holy crap sugar!) This was my first attempt at jamming without pectin. I boiled the berries down till they reach a temperature of 220 degrees aka gel stage. While the berries were cooking I sterilized my jars and lids.

Buying the proper tools made a huge difference. No burning or balancing acts of hot glass jars. Above a shot of my tools and lids ready and waiting. The funnel made for a quick easy pour into the hot jars. I got twelve four ounce cans out of one batch. I decided to go with the smaller jars because I’m hoping to make raspberry and blueberry jam, pickles, and tomato sauce for family Christmas presents this year. Yes, mom you’ll have to wait till December to try my jam. I promise it will be worth the wait. The soft pink strawberry foam I skimmed off the top of the finished jam made for an excellent ice cream topping, total heaven.

p.s. I used this book and this book for reference when making my jam. Also, I tried the jam today after letting it set up for a few days, it’s unbelievable!

Category: recipes

Recipe: Edamame Salad

Posted on | June 25, 2010 | 14 Comments

In a sea of mayo-filled summer salads my edamame version is a standout. Goes great with fish, burgers, and even BBQ. It’s my go to side for summer potlucks. Friends always ask me for the recipe. As I type I am munching on a bowl for lunch. Perfect for hot days when you want something fresh but don’t feel like cooking. Happy Weekend!

1 bag of frozen shelled Edamame
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 T. canola oil
1 T. sugar
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
Salt and Pepper to Taste
8 ounce bag of radishes (sliced)
3-4 medium sized carrots (I buy the pre-sliced guys in a bag)
½ c sliced almond (toast in a small skillet)
1 cup of cilantro (chopped)

Rinse edamame with cool water till the ice comes off the shells. In my experience cooking the edamame makes it mushy. You want to keep the crunch—no need to cook. Put in a bowl with sliced radishes, carrots, and toasted almonds. Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, and S+P, and lime. Pour over vegetables and stir till well combined. Stir in cilantro and place in the fridge for about a 1/2 hour. Can be made the night before. Totally fine serving at room temperature for a potluck buffet.

Category: recipes

Individual Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

Posted on | April 30, 2010 | 13 Comments

It’s spring and rhubarb is in season. I love rhubarb with or on just about anything; last spring I made rhubarb crumb bars which were amazing. Yesterday afternoon I made individual strawberry rhubarb galettes using Martha Stewart’s cornmeal crust recipe. A galette is similar to a pie but more rustic. They turned out beautifully and super delicious. In hindsight I made them a little too big. I got four out of one crust recipe. I think the proportions would work better for 6.

I didn’t really follow a recipe. I’ve made galettes a hundred times so I kinda just threw it all in a bowl. Here’s where I got the idea to make them individually and another galette recipe and how to video on marthastewart.com. Enjoy!

Category: recipes, sweets

Recipe: Making Challah

Posted on | April 16, 2010 | 13 Comments

This afternoon I attempted making challah or egg bread. Challah is a traditional bread eaten on the sabbath. I’m not Jewish but I have eaten my fair share of this wonderful sweet bread. When we lived in New York I would pick up two loaves on friday nights for the weekend. I would eat half of the first loaf on the way home. I’m salivating dreaming of the warm sweet bread studded with chocolate chips crumbling inside the bag as I shoved bites inconspicuously into mouth on the train ride home. The remainder became Sunday morning french toast.

I need more practice braiding but overall not so bad for the first try. The bread is delicious. The loaf at the very bottom is for Sunday morning french toast. I used golden raisins in the french toast loaf which is amazing paired with maple syrup. Above and below photos of the two loaves I made. Greg help braid a loaf—his looks fancier then mine. He’s excellent at tying knots so I though challah braiding might be up his alley.

I used Smitten Kitchen’s recipe found here. Happy Weekend!