Squash Blossoms - Five Flavorful Ways

Have you spotted these colorful blossoms at our farmers market? One of our vendors has these orange beauties, but he often gets questioned, "How do I cook them?" According to the University of Illinois Extension website you can stuff them. The Seasonal Chef website adds these tasty options: put them in a frittata and quesadillas, make them into hush puppies, or put them in a soup. Not quite as many recipes as the squash itself, but nonetheless impressive.

Since going local is always good, here's the recipe for the stuffed version:

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Use your favorite bread or meat stuffing or use the ricotta/mushroom stuffing below. Or skip the stuffing, and simply batter the blossoms and fry. The batter must be chilled for 30 minutes. Or it can be made in advance and refrigerate it for up to two days. If it is too thick after refrigeration, add a few drops of water to return to original consistency.

The Batter

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free chilled milk, beer or water

The Stuffing

1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoon mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, minced
16 large squash blossoms, washed
Canola oil for frying

1. Prepare the batter first. Sift together dry ingredients, then whisk in milk, beer or cold water until smooth. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Leftover batter can be stored for up to two days.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, mushrooms and basil. Open the blossoms and spoon about one 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture into the center of each. Avoid overfilling the blossoms. Twist the top of each blossom together to close. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat over high heat until a small cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown within seconds.

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

5. Sprinkle with salt, if desired and serve immediately. Serves 4.

What do I do with Kohlrabi & other odd veggies?

While strolling through the Farmers Market you may have noticed some vegetables that were new to you. While we strive to keep the variety wide at our market, we don't strive to confuse you. Instead, we want to challenge you to try something new.

One example is the odd looking kohlrabi. To better understand it, perhaps a derivation of its name might help. The first part of the word 'kohl' is German for cabbage and the second part 'rabi' is (Swiss) German for turnip. And knowing that its origin is the same as the cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collard greens should make this vegetable seem a little less odd (or perhaps not).

Now that you've been properly introduced, the next question is what do you do with it? The most common way to 'prepare' it is to simply peel off the hard outer skin (and it is a bit tough), and then slice it like you would a cucumber. You can eat it as is or dip it in your favorite veggie dip. If eaten plain, the taste is a combination of broccoli stems and very mild radish.

If you'd like a recipe, here's a simple one 'borrowed' from Prairieland CSA:

Kohlrabi Gratin
Anna Barnes

4-6 kohlrabi with leaves
1 T butter or olive oil
1 clove garlic or 1/2 garlic scape thinly sliced
2 - 3 T sliced green or bulb onion
3 - 4 c stock
3 - 4 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces sharp cheddar or other strong cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove greens from kohlrabi and set aside. Cut off roots and tops of kohlrabi and trim off fibrous outer layer. Slice into 1/4" slices or cube into 1/2" pieces. Wash greens. Remove stems using a knife to make v-cuts in the leaves. Stack several leaves together, roll like a cigar, and thinly slice into strips 1/8" to 1/4" wide. Repeat.

In a large pan heat 4 qts. water to a boil. Add leaves. Test for tenderness and bitterness. Cook until leaves are on the verge of losing their bright green color. Remove and drain. In a large saute pan, heat butter or oil. Saute garlic and onion for 2 min. Remove, set aside. Add 3 c stock to pan, bring to a low boil. Add kohlrabi bulb pieces. Cook until tender crisp. Remove from pan. Remove 1 c stock and into it stir flour. Add back to stock in saute pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir to prevent lumps. Add onion, kohlrabi, and kohlrabi leaves. Coat with sauce. Add 1/2 to 1 c more stock if mixture is too dry. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a greased 2-3 quart dish. Top with grated cheese. Bake until cheese is brown, approx. 15 to 20 min.

And as for other strange veggies, one is covered in this recipe - garlic scapes. So stop by the Farmers Market on Historic N 1st Street to get your kohlrabi (Koller Family Farms) and garlic scapes (Ed's Place) to make this yummy early summer treat. See you at the market!

The farmers Market on Historic N 1st Street starts Thursday June 10 from 3-7 pm and runs until Thursday September 2. The market is seven days from today and excitement is in the air! The market will have cooking demonstrations, entertainment for all ages, food, and of course vendors to provide you with all the fresh produce you can buy. The vendors are ready to delight you with their fresh and delicious produce. There will be cooking demonstrations throughout the summer with the help of the Mettler Center and the Champaign Urbana Public Health District. So for anyone looking to learn new recipes to spice up your meals, or learn new healthy and nutritious meal ideas, you won't want to miss out.
If the cooking demonstrations are not enough to bring you out to the market, the wide range of entertainment from different groups in the community may interest you. On opening day the University of Illinois Capoeira dance group will be at the market from 4:30-5:30 pm, and other local entertainers like the CUperstars youth singing group, and Storyteller Camille Born are some of the entertainers to look forward to.
So let's recap. The market will have cooking demonstrations from the Mettler Center and CU Public Health District, and plenty of entertainment for all ages from local entertainers, what more could you ask for? Well, plenty of fresh produce of course, and there is going to be plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade goodies from the vendors. So come out to the Farmers Market on Historic N 1st Street; the market has plenty to offer for all ages.