baked squash blossoms with pine nut cheese /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

edible flowers, squash blossoms and nasturtium among a few, grace us with their company each spring and summer.  there's something about delicate squash blossoms that are so beautiful.  maybe i find then curious because the plant that grows them is so large and prickly, and produces something so delicate.  

i tried my hand at stuffing and frying squash blossoms a couple of times last year.  they turned out great.  but this year i was yearning for a something a little less fried, so i decided to bake them instead.  i wasn't sure how they would turn out, if the cheese would ooze it's way out of the flower cavity and burn on the baking sheet, or if they would never crisp-up and just be a soggy mess.  the result was better than i was anticipating.    lightly browned, crispy, with a slightly nutty flavor.

because the cheese i used to stuff the flowers is nut-based, it did not contain as much moisture as dairy-based cheese would.  if you are planning on using a dairy-based cheese, such as ricotta, i would drain it through a cheese cloth for about 30 minutes prior to using and then blending the herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper by hand.  i don't see a need to mustard, cider, lemon juice, or water to a dairy-based mixture.  

baked squash blossoms with pine nut cheese

serve these as an appetizer, side dish, or even on top of a bowl of greens.  these are best when served hot and right out of the oven.   

| makes 10 stuffed blossoms

10 squash blossoms, rinsed and stamens removed (the fuzzy yellow part inside the bloom) 

1 tablespoon olive oil

large grain sea salt

for the cheese: 

 

adapted from The First Mess  

 

1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked in hot water for at least 2 hours

1 1/2 teaspoon good dijon mustard (i use Maille) 

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice  

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons (about 10 leaves) fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed

pinches of fine grain sea salt to taste

couple turns fresh ground pepper

 

 

instructions

  • in a food processor, combine soaked pine nuts, mustard, water, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. blend, scraping down the sides of the processor.  taste, add salt and pepper according to your preference.  scoop into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (i made mine the day before.  letting the "cheese" rest allows the flavors to really come together. if you don't have the time, by all means use right away, it will still taste awesome!)
  • pre heat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • rinse and let squash blossoms air dry.  using a small knife, make a slit on one side.  cut the stamen from the inside of the flower (hard yellow fuzzy stem inside the flower)
  • using a tiny spoon (you can also use a piping bag), fill each flower.  i used about 2 healthy spoonfuls for each flower
  • twist the end of the flower to close.  place the flowers on your baking sheet.  using a pastry brush, lightly coat each flower with olive oil (bottoms too), and sprinkle them with large grain sea salt  
  • bake at 400° for 10 minutes checking them halfway through.  my oven is a little funky so i ended up baking them for 10 minutes on 400° and then turning up the heat to 425° for another 5 minutes to get them nice and crispy.  in the end you want them a nice golden brown, so anywhere between 10-15 minutes should do it in any normal oven :)

enjoy! 

homemade corn tortillas /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i'm not sure where the inspiration to make homemade tortillas came from (especially since i don't have a tortilla press, which makes the whole process a lot easier) , but as soon as i discovered the how doable the tortilla-making-process was, i was sold!  i decided to use bob's red mills masa harina  because it's what was available to me at my local grocery store.  however, after reading this article i will be sure to buy blue corn masa harina.  in any event, the tortilla making session started off like any good project: on the living room floor.  it's the largest one area we have in our little apartment, and i wanted room to make a mess!  (don't worry, there were plenty of towels, and bowls, and mats between the tortilla ingredients and the floor.)  

as i sat there and mixed the 3 ingredients it takes to make these tortillas, i thought how wonderfully simple and gratifying it was to literally sit with my ingredients and work them with my hands.  it reminded me when i was in the 4th grade.  we were learning about native american cultures, and one of our class projects was to make tortilla chips.  i recalled doing something similar: sitting on the floor, with less than a handful of ingredients, and working those few ingredients by hand; grinding our corn into masa, by using a mortar and pestle.  i remember thinking how awesome is was making something in today's time, that a native culture made hundreds of years ago.  that thought came back to me as i sat on my living room floor.  take away the tv, couch, air conditioner, camera, and cell phone, and imagined i was making my tortillas in a much less technologically stimulated time.  if only for a couple of minutes.   

do not be intimidated by the lengthy process of these making tortillas, if you have the time they are definitely worth making.  if you have a tortilla press, the process is a little easier and a lot shorter.  and lastly, if you want to decrease the amount of time you're spending rolling each tortilla out, cut each ball into 4 pieces instead of 8, and make larger tortillas.  tortillas lend themselves to so may awesome things, plus these corn ones are gluten free!

homemade corn tortillas

technique adapted from Bob's Red Mills & Edible Perspective

| makes 16 small tortillas

ingredients

2 cups masa harina

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups hot water

equipment: 

  • parchment paper
  • rolling pin (you will not need this if you have a tortilla press)
  • round, flat bottomed baking dish or bowl (i used my tea kettle [if you have a tortilla press, skip this] )  

 

 

instructions

  • in a large bowl, combine the masa harina and salt with a whisk.  add 1 cup of the hot water - stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine
  • at this point you will notice that the dough is sticking to the spoon; set the spoon aside and use your hands; work the dough for about 2 minutes - until it's soft and springy.  if your dough is dry and crumbly, add hot water a tablespoon at a time until you have reached a smooth dough (i ended up using about 1 1/4 cup of water, but it depends on the weather and conditions in your house- no two doughs are alike)  
  • form the dough into a ball, cover with a tea towel and let it rest for about a 1-2 hours

while you're waiting for the dough, prepare by getting your parchment paper ready.  you will need: 2, 8x8" pieces for rolling the dough, and 16, 6" pieces to prevent the uncooked tortillas from sticking to one another.  set aside.

  • uncover your dough and cut into two evenly sized pieces - form into two balls.  cut each ball into 4 even pieces and then divide the into eighths.  in the end you will have 16 pieces
  • if the outer part of your dough was a little rough, like mine was, coat your hands with a little bit of water and roll the crescent shaped doughs into balls
  • as you roll, cover the balls with your towel to prevent them from drying out
  • one at a time, roll out each piece of dough between the 8x8 pieces of parchment, roll to about an 1/8" thickness.  gently remove the top piece of parchment; take one of your 16 smaller pieces of parchment, place on top of tortilla, invert and gently peel the larger piece off the tortilla.  repeat with remaining tortillas, stacking them on top of one another as you go along 

 

  • heat a dry skillet to a medium heat.  one at a time place the tortillas on the skillet and cook for 45 seconds - 1 minute (my sweet spot was just around 47/48 seconds), until they're slightly browned (be careful not to overcook them, as they will tear or become crunchy when you try to roll them.)
  • remove tortilla and place a towel over to keep warm; repeat with remaining tortillas
  • you can use them right away, or refrigerate them for up to a week in an air tight container

there are endless ways to use these tortillas, so have fun and enjoy! 

 

sugar snap, tatsoi + zucchini rice bowl with sesame oil dressing /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

tatsoi? shiso? never heard of 'em.  that was until i began reading deborah madson's Vegetable Literacy.  before reading (most of) this book/cookbook, i considered myself quite vegetable literate.  but as i began reading i realized how veggie illiterate i was.  most times at the nursery i am able to tell herbs and various vegetables apart by their leaves, or just by being familiar with them over the years.  but deborah's book has really opened my eyes to some amazing lesser known veggies and plants that can be found right at your local farmers' market or whole foods.  beginning at the start of spring i remember seeing tatsoi flowers, and then in the last few weeks, tatsoi greens.  i'm not going to lie, the name intimidated me because i had no idea what they were or where they came from.  after reading the cabbage section in Vegetable Literacy, i learned that tatsoi, a leafy green, is part of the cabbage family, among its family members are: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collards, and kale, just to name a few.  moving on to perilla, or shiso.  shiso, which i had never used, nor seen before, had the most vibrant aroma with herby notes, as well as hints of citrus.  crush it, or chop it, and the fragrance becomes even more intense and peppery.  it was fun broadening my vegetable vocabulary and cooking with ingredients that were out of my comfort zone!

 

i understand that tatsoi and shiso are hard to find in all parts of the country and world.  so here are a few substitutes.  for the tatsoi: kale, swiss chard, collard greens (if planning on using kale or collards, i would wilt them slightly before eating) .  for the shiso: i would say that basil would make a good substitute, especially if you can get your hands on thai basil, or one that's more peppery and spicy.  and the black rice can be substituted with whichever rice you prefer.  

 

sugar snap, tatsoi + zucchini rice bowl with sesame oil dressing

| 4 healthy servings

ingredients

1 cup black rice

 2 handfuls sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half

1 bunch tatsoi (scant 2 cups), stems trimmed

1 small zucchini, washed and sliced thin

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1/3 cup raw cashews, toasted

1 bunch shiso (about 20 leaves), julienned

1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking

fine grain sea salt, to taste   

sesame oil dressing

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon low sodium tamari (gluten and wheat free)

10 shiso leaves, ground (optional) 

fine grain sea salt to taste

 

 

instructions

make the rice

  • rinse and drain the rice
  • combine the rice with 2 1/2 cups of water
  • bring to a boil, stir, cover, and reduce heat to low - making sure the water is simmering.  cook for about 20-25 minutes depending on your stove
  • set aside

make the dressing

  • in a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar with the salt, and tamari.  taste as you go along, adjusting the seasoning to your preference
  • add the sesame oil, whisk vigorously until the ingredients are combined
  • using a mortar and pestle, grind about 10 shiso leaves until they are bruised and fragrant.  combine with the dressing
  • refrigerate until ready to use

make the vegetables

  • pre heat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with tin foil 
  • using a pastry brush, apply a small amount of oil to each side of the sliced zucchini, and arrange on the baking sheet without overlapping
  • bake for about 15 minutes; until the edges are slightly browned
  • let cool 
  • in a skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat.  cook the shallots until soft - about 3 minutes.  add the snap peas, season with salt, and cook for an additional 7 minutes
  • remove from heat

assemble

  • in a large bowl, spoon in the black rice, season with salt - a pinch at a time 
  • top with tatsoi, sauteed snap peas and shallots, zucchini, and toasted cashews
  • a little at a time, drizzle with the sesame dressing, tasting along the way (i had some dressing leftover)
  • lastly, garnish with julienned shiso leaves and give it a toss or two

enjoy!