Squash Blossom Crepes Crepas De Flor De Calabaza Recipes

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.

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.

SQUASH BLOSSOM CREPES (CREPAS DE FLOR DE CALABAZA)

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the eggs, milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, melted butter, and flour into a blender. Blend until no dry lumps of flour remain in the batter. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Heat an oiled, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in enough batter to cover half of the skillet. Tip and rotate the skillet until the batter covers the entire area. Cook until the batter turns from wet to moist, and the edges begin to curl away from the sides of the skillet. Turn the crepe over, and continue cooking until lightly golden on the other side. Place the crepe onto a plate, and cover with a kitchen towel to keep moist. Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly oiling the skillet as needed to keep the crepes from sticking.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, and simmer until reduced to half its original volume. Stir in the chopped zucchini blossoms, cover, and cook a few minutes until the squash blossoms have softened and reduced in volume. Stir in the tomato, nutmeg, and epazote until the tomato begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Roll about 2 tablespoons of zucchini filling in each crepe, and place into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the half-and-half cream evenly over top of the crepes, and sprinkle with grated Manchego cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, tenting if necessary so the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crepes are hot and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

SOPA DE FLOR DE CALABAZA -- MEXICAN SQUASH BLOSSOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot, melt butter and sauté the garlic and onions until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the corn kernels, chiles, and zucchini and cook for two more minutes.
• Stir in the mushrooms and squash blossoms and continue to cook, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer and additional 10 to 12 minutes.
• Adjust salt to taste.
• Serve with a tortilla squares and a spoonful of creme frâiche or heavy cream.

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.