Flowers

Frittata di fiori di zucca

I was lucky enough as a young boy to grow up in a neighborhood of Italian families.  I was the only blond haired Swede within two blocks.  I have wonderful memories of my neighborhood.  One thing that I remember most is playing on the porches of my neighbors on Saturdays and smelling "Sunday gravy" spaghetti sauce cooking on the stoves for hours in preparation for Sunday dinner after mass.  There were neighbors that lived on one side of my home, that I was particularly close to.  They had a grandmother, "nonna", that prepared many traditional dishes that she brought with her when they came from Italy to the United States.  I distinctly remember one time when she sent a dinner to my family for a Sunday meal.  It consisted of spaghetti and meatballs with homemade sauce and the most delicious side dish that I ever tasted, which were these batter-dipped zucchini flowers in the shape of a small pancake.  They were fried in olive oil and they were delicious.  Although I have the original family recipe for this, I am using my adaptation from memory of what this tasted like.  This could be used as an appetizer, but most often, when I make it, I use it as a side to either pasta or, in today's presentation, eggplant parmesan.  This is the time of year when zucchini and blossoms are readily available.  Please try this - it is different, it is delicious and I think it will be one of your family favorites.

Note: In this demonstration, I will be showing three different examples of how this recipe can be made.  This can be done using whole blossoms, blossoms cut into strips or grated zucchini with blossoms cut into strips.

Ingredients:

2 c. Bisquick
½ c.  grated Romano cheese
½ t. dried basil
½ t. dried oregano
¼ t. garlic powder
milk (enough to make a thin batter)
6 - 8 zucchini blossoms
1 small zucchini, grated (optional)
olive oil
spaghetti or marinara sauce

 

Remove stem and stamen from each blossom.  Rinse each blossom under running water, to remove any pollen.  Allow to dry on a paper towel.

 

 

In a mixing bowl, add Bisquick, Romano cheese, garlic powder (or one clove of fresh garlic, minced), basil, oregano, enough milk for a thin batter, grated zucchini or flowers (or both).

 

 
Dip the flower(s) or zucchini into the batter.  Fry until golden brown on both sides.  Drain on a paper towel and keep warm in an oven until ready to serve. 

 

 
Continue frying additional flowers/zucchini until golden brown on both sides.

Drizzle with marinara sauce and serve with your favorite meal.  In this demonstration, they were served as a side with eggplant parmesan.

Swedish Chef's Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 russet baking potatoes
4 slices bacon, fried (drained on a paper towel)
3 T. cream cheese
½ c. sour cream
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3 T. unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. chives, chopped


Wash and scrub two russet potatoes and dry with paper towel.  Using a fork, pierce several holes in one side of each potato.  Preheat the oven to 425º.  Once the oven has come to temperature, lightly rub each potato with olive oil and place in the oven.  Bake approximately 30-45 minutes or until the potato is soft to the touch.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

 

Once the potatoes have cooled, using a serrated knife, carefully cut off  approximately a half inch of each potato.

Using a spoon, carefully scoop the potato out into a bowl, leaving approximately a half inch in the shell.  Also scoop out any potato in the piece that has been cut.

 

 

Using a fork, mash the warm potato until all lumps are gone.  Cube the cream cheese into half inch cubes and place in the bowl.  Add butter and sour cream.  Sprinkle in cheddar cheese, chives and bacon.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.

 

Combine ingredients in the bowl with a spoon, until thoroughly mixed.  Stuff the potato shells with the mixture.  The volume of the potato will increase, due to the additional ingredients.  Therefore, make sure to overstuff your potato with the mixture.  (You may still have extra filling left over).

Place potatoes in a small dish and replace the tops to that the mixture inside does not burn.

Approximately 20 minutes before serving, bake potatoes in a 375º oven until mixture is hot and cheese is melted.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

It's spring and the rhubarb is looking beautiful.  I decided today to harvest some of it and make this strawberry rhubarb crisp.  It is a combination of two separate recipes but I think it turned out delicious.  I am sure once you will try it you will like it as well.


Ingredients:
1 qt. strawberries, hulled, rinsed and cut in half
2 c. rhubarb, rinsed and cut into half inch chunks
2 T. corn starch
½ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

 

Rinse fruit.  Remove strawberry hulls and cut in half.  Cut rhubarb into half inch pieces.

 

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.

 
Spray a 2 qt. glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick coating.  Place fruit mixture evenly in the dish.


Topping:
1 c. flour
1 c. quick oats
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
½ c. (1 stick) melted butter
1 t. cinnamon

 

 

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Sprinkle topping over the fruit.

Place dish on a cookie sheet lined with foil, parchment or Silpat (in case of boil over).  Place in a 375º oven and bake for 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.