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Yetzirah

Wednesday In The Garden
Wed Jun 03 2009

 I marvel at the happiness of my garden right now.

It is reaping the benefits of moderate temperatures. It's sunny, it's warm, and the blistering heat seems to be blistering somewhere else on the planet which is fine by me.  My plants love it.

The ears of corn are forming, green beans blooming, and fruit is getting bigger.

Here's what I found after snooping around under the tomato plants this morning:

[album 65561 Wednesday Garden 004.JPG]

And here is the very first Hydrangea blossom:

[album 65561 Wednesday Garden 003.JPG]

Last but not least, the zucchini:

[album 65561 Wednesday Garden 005.JPG]

I have always heard you could eat squash blossoms and the other day decided to give them a try. I made a tempura batter with flour, cornstarch, salt and milk. Then dipped the blossoms with the little zucchini still attached [the blossom had closed up for the day] and fried them in half an inch of oil in my skillet. They were quite tasty and I'm thinking about making some more this afternoon. I ate the first ones plain, but going to try dipping them in ranch dressing this time.

If you are wondering what they taste like, all I can tell you is I think they taste yellow. It's the only description that seems to fit.

Give it a try sometime. See what you think.

(You KNOW what I think....)

What's that?

(Yellow is a color, not a taste. And those blossoms are for bees to mess around in, not for food. I don't care how much batter you fry them in.)

Good.

Fine.

More for me.

 




7 Comments
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Jun 03 2009
    What? No Little Miss Sunshine with all this happiness abounding?
    Your slipping, my dear.
    I love my happy garden, too.
    And yours.
  • From:
    404Error (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Jun 03 2009
    I think you'll like those squash blossoms even better if you stuff them with a soft cheese (maybe with herbs added) like goat cheese. It makes them extra-yummy!
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Jun 03 2009
    Oh, yummy. That tomato looks exactly ready for fried green. But given full ripening, it'll be perfect for eating right there, right off the vine, accompanied by a dash or two from the salt cellar. Mmmmm!!!!

    I've heard that squash blossoms are tasty, So what does () know about taste?? I've decided that I prefer raw zucchini to cooked zucchini, but I'll take either or both. I just like zukes.

    And I like your photography.


    Bless
  • From:
    BattleAxe (Unauthenticated) (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Jun 03 2009
    I have to agree with ( ). :-)
  • From:
    Blueheron (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Jun 03 2009
    Squash murderer! Eating those poor little blossoms before they can grow up to become baby squashes and experience the world. I just don't know what else to say....


    (lol)
  • From:
    404Error (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Jun 04 2009
    Sorry to be getting back so late, but yes, that mushroom stuffing sounds good, too.

    About the deep fryer issues, I suppose it comes as no surprise that we have one. However, a big, heavy pot, cast iron, enameled or not, or a heavy stainless steel pot makes a great deep fryer. You use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temperature. It's quite easy. Just make sure you have a tight fitting lid, just in the one in a million chance of fire.

    I highly recommend using peanut oil because it has a very high smoke point. If allergies are a concern or you just can't find it, canola is a very good frying oil, just don't fry hotter than 375 with it. It is almost flavorless, and is what is in my fryer right now.

    One of the most important things is not to crowd the fryer. The more food you put in, the lower the oil temperature will become. When that happens your food will soak up the oil rather than quickly develop that crisp "shell" that keeps the oil out.

    As for reusing the oil, restaurants reuse the oil, usually for two to three days. Can you imagine how much an order of fries would cost if they had to drain five gallons of oil out of the fryer between batches? For home cooks it's easy. Once the oil has cooled you strain it through a fine strainer (lined with either a couple of layers of cheese cloth or a paper towel, if you want to get every speck of food out) into a large enough container with a lid. Then you can keep it in a cool, dark place, or in the fridge if you want to make certain there is no chance of rancidity.

    Cresco, just off Richardson Blvd. sells restaurant supplies (and sells to the general public as well) and is a good source for kitchen tools, like large food-safe containers. Their products are very durable and will last the home cook a lifetime. They are also very reasonable for the quality.

    Oil should be discarded when it turns dark or seems viscous. Also, you might want to toss it if you cook fish in it, although if you use a slightly thicker batter, no fishy taste should penetrate the batter's barrier.

    I know this seems counter-intuitive for the home cook to save the oil, but in these times can any of us really afford to throw away nearly a gallon of oil after just one use? I just find that unnecessarily wasteful.
  • From:
    Diane (Unauthenticated) (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Jun 04 2009
    I love zucchini bloosoms. Have prepared them the way you have. Also have another recipe I believe you will enjoy. I will send it on to you. Your garden is looking so nice! I have been so busy this week I have not been to our shared garden with Theresa since last week when I picked very small zucchini. I much prefer them that way. Steamed with a little bite left to them. Heaven! Oh! I finally got a shot of the dragonfly in our garden and will post on my blog as soon as I have some time to myself. We are stuill laughing that we saw your hub man fly by us on his motorcycle yesterday while we were struck in traffic in Davis on the freeway. Too funny!