so remember last week when i was all, gardening on my fire escape is awesome; it's so rewarding and amazing. well this past week we woke up to find that 2 of the largest of our squash somewhat viciously pulled from their stems and, regretfully, chewed up and spit out! i kept that half-eaten on the counter in the kitchen for a couple days because i didn't have it in me to throw such a little beauty away...(insert a very sad emoji face). then, a few days later, i found little green aphids on a blossom. luckily i found them early enough to where they didn't cause any damage. i was the last person to think that a second floor fire escape would attract squirrels (!) and then bugs! so i guess in the end, nature is awesome but you can't expect it to be easy when you take it into your own hands. lesson learned.
before frank and i left a few weeks ago to visit his family, i harvested a good amount of squash blossoms from my garden that i didn't want to go to waste, along with a couple of beets. i was planning on making hummus to take on the trip with me and thought that i might as well stuff the blossoms since i had them. i used my baked squash blossom recipe from last year because i wanted to keep it a bit more clean than the fried route. i share this recipe today, because not only is hummus seriously amazing inside a flower, BUT, baked hummus is a thing and i love it! it takes on a bit of smokiness in the oven and it lent such an awesome, and unexpected flavor. look out for everything with baked hummus come fall 2014!
just a couple of notes:
- just found this beautiful IG feed
- made this salad for dinner the other night and it was super delightful!
- i totally look forward to making these
- and i especially loved this sweet post <3
- i wish my breakfasts always looked this beautiful!
- check out this condé nast traveler article that highlights healthy eats from around the globe; featuring ashley, jessica, miranda, david + louise, erin and yours truly!
baked squash blossoms stuffed w/ beet hummus (v +gf)
ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup tahini paste
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 3 small beets, roasted and skins removed
- water, to thin
- one dozen squash blossoms, stamens removed
- olive oil, for baking
- large grain sea salt, for sprinkling
instructions
- preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- place chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, tahini, garlic, and beets into a food processor and pulse until blended. add water, a teaspoon at a time, to thin consistency (you don't want to add too much water because you want hummus to be on the thicker side so when it bakes it doesn't run). transfer hummus to a small mixing bowl
- on a clean work surface, carefully stuff each squash blossom with a few teaspoons of beet hummus and gently twist the end to close; repeat with remaining blossoms. place them on the prepared baking sheet; using a pastry brush, evenly brush each blossom with a light coat of olive oil. sprinkle with the salt and transfer to the oven. bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and golden
- let the squash blossoms cool for a minute or two, then serve immediately
enjoy!