Monday, August 2, 2010

Flor de Calabazas are so GOOD !

When San Miguel de Allende has a few days of rain along with some warm weather, the squash vines start blooming out in the campo (countryside) and that makes me very happy. The women from the campo come to the open market in San Miguel and sell bunches of the Flor de Calabazas (squash blossoms) for only ten pesos a bunch(less than a dollar.) Stuffed and fried, they are some of my favorite things to eat!
I have taken the stems off and pulled the pistils out. I carefully put a small tablespoon size of goat cheese along with a sliver of jalapeno into the squash blossom. Then I gently squeeze the blossom to adhere to the goat cheese.

I dip each blossom into a beer batter.

Beer Batter:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne
1 1/4 cups pale beer (Corona, Indio - one bottle is adequate)
Fry in 350' oil.
It is such a light, crisp batter! Drain on paper towels before plating.

I served the Flor de Calabazas with a roasted tomato salsa. I toasted a few plum tomatoes, a serrano, a few thick slices of onion and a garlic clove in its skin on my comal (a Mexican griddle.) Put all the ingredients into a blender (remove the skin from the garlic) along with some cilantro and salt and mix until slightly chunky.

I can not think of anything better than being up on my mirador, sipping a cold cerveza, snacking on a few stuffed, fried Flor de Calabazas as I watch the lights of the Parroquia and the Monjas Churches go on with mariachi music wafting in the air. Life is good.

Buen provecho y salud!

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