This Recipe is part of the Mid-Summer Feast Early Harvest Menu
It turns out that Italian cooks aren’t the only ones who appreciate squash blossoms. My friend Priscila Satakoff, chef/owner of Chicago’s Salpicón restaurant, once told me that she knew Mexican cooking had arrived in America when she could find squash blossoms at her market. She went on to say that her favorite way to cook them was in a soup, so I went into the kitchen and created this in her honor.
Ingredients
20 zucchini blossoms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4-1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade, or use low-sodium canned broth
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, for serving
Corn and Zucchini Salsa
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 1 large ear corn)
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeño chile, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil
Directions
1. To make the salsa, toss the zucchini, tomato, and salt in a wire sieve and let stand to drain off excess juices, about 1 hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl, add the corn, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, and mix gently. Season with salt. (The salsa can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and stored at room temperature.)
2. To make the soup, trim the zucchini blossoms, leaving 2 to 3 inches of stem on each blossom. Cut off and coarsely chop the tender petals and inner blossom parts and set aside. Coarsely chop the stems and remaining parts; set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved harder parts of the blossoms and the garlic. Cook, uncovered, until the garlic gives off its aroma, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 20 minutes.
4. Whisk the cornmeal and 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Stir into the soup, along with the reserved petals and tender parts of the blossoms. Cook until the soup is lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a generous spoonful of the salsa to each bowl and serve with lime wedges.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Excerpted from Summer Gatherings by Rick Rodgers. Copyright © 2008 by Rick Rodgers. Excerpted by permission of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now.
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