AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Always the Bridesmaid (Recipe: Squash Gnocchi) DATE: 11/29/2009 11:58:00 AM ----- BODY:


About 2 months into culinary school, my ego was convinced I should be a better cook. I began experimenting with recipes that I previously would never have dreamed about trying…. For Passover I decide to make a whole salmon stuffed with a trio of mousses: spinach, red pepper and potato. I imagined a most impressive presentation with spirals of tricolored mousses contrasting the orange salmon. I shed a few tears as my brother-in-law tried to encourage me through the process.

A few months later at my uncle’s house, I attempted squash gnocchi. They weren’t much better. Thankfully, the audience was equally supportive as I tried to fumble my way through dinner.

Though, I’ve mastered many complicated dishes since graduating from culinary school, I still harbor a little trepidation about squash gnocchi. These winter vegetables straddle into the “starch” classification, but don’t have the binding qualities that Idaho potatoes have, making them more challenging than regular potato for gnocchi and other dumplings. And like the spinach and bell peppers of the mousse fiasco, they have a high water content which requires extra flour as a binder, and can cause leaden dumplings.

A few weeks ago, I decided to tackle the squash gnocchi again. I figured that 20 years was enough time to get over the old wounds and develop a repertoire of skills to get me through.

My first attempt was a mediocre at best… based on my research, I thought I’d be able to roll out the gnocchi by hand as I do with regular potato. The dough was so wet that I kept adding flour and more flour… to the point that I knew I’d have dense dumplings (and based on the comments from my matzah ball post, I know that a loud minority actually prefer this).

Attempt #2: I got the brilliant idea to pipe the dough into the boiling water. This allowed for a wetter, lighter dough, and worked much better. I served these with roast duck, but the duck skin cracklings stole the show.

Since I wanted to blog about these, I recreated this recipe for Thanksgiving. And as delicious as they were, they were upstaged a second time. This time, I tossed them with Brussels sprouts from the garden which were roasted with bacon.

The dumplings are great, but are easily upstaged.


Squash Gnocchi
1 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
1 ½ cup flour
2 eggs
½ tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder (optional)
1 cup chicken broth or 2 tbs. butter
1. Cut squash in half. Put on a baking sheet, cut side down. Add water to the pan, and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until squash are tender. It may be necessary to add more water to the pan if it all evaporates.
2. Let squash cool. Scoop out seeds and discard.
3. Scoop out pulp into a food processor and blend until smooth. Measure out one cup of puree (set aside the remainder for soup or another favorite recipe). Add flour, eggs, curry powder, salt and baking powder. Blend in food processor minimally, just until smooth.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt.
5. Fill a piping bag with a large plain tip. Fill with gnocchi filling. Gently pipe out ¾” logs, and then cut off into the water with a butter knife. Boil for 2 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon into a dish with either the butter or chicken broth (this will keep the dumplings from sticking together before serving.
6. It may be necessary to cook the dumplings in batches.
Serve with Brussels sprouts, duck or turkey.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:11/29/2009 09:03:00 PM I can imagine that they would be upstaged by the things you served them with. But I admire your perseverance. I'm starting to tackle some things that I couldn't make even two years ago. It's always good to come back and try again. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:11/29/2009 09:44:00 PM You know what they say about getting back up on the horse.... Maybe I should try making pita bread again. It's been at least a decade since I tried it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:11/30/2009 08:51:00 PM I love the idea, and I know you will meet your standard someday! I'd be happy to serve as part of the tasting panel! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Rate This Recipe! DATE:12/01/2009 06:13:00 PM I love squahs, this looks delicious. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:12/02/2009 08:11:00 AM Melissa -- it's fun to nail a new recipe. I'm glad to see you branching out more.

Lydia -- I don't know, you could wait another few years.. ;-) I actually just tried pita for the first time this year with varying success. Peter F. has a great recipe!

T.W. -- Great, happy to have you taste test.


Rate this recipe - thanks. And thanks for visiting. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Show Stealer (Recipe: Duck Cracklings) DATE: 11/18/2009 08:25:00 AM ----- BODY:

(Chocolate Giveaway Winners:  Judit U-M and Grace, Congratulations! You were randomly selected to win the chocolate sampler boxes from Equal Exchange.  Please email your mailing address to julia [at] growcookeat [dot] com.  And thanks to all for your great comments and supporting fair trade!)

Let’s face it: the best part of duck is the crispy skin. When done right, the skin crackles and the duck breast is still juicy and medium rare. And if you’re really good, you manage to render all the fat from under the skin without overcooking the meat.

I’m not that good. I’ve cooked hundreds of duck breasts, and I honestly don’t believe it’s possible to render all the fat out and still have a medium rare breast. I always start with cold meat and a cold pan. I score the skin as to better release the fat. I cook over low heat. I drain the excess fat as it pools in the bottom of the pan. But as soon as the meat starts to tighten in the pan, I know I'm well on my way to medium.

The solution: cook the breast and the skin separately! It’s easy enough to peel the skin off with a paring knife and small, gentle strokes along the membrane that attaches the skin to the meat. I slice the skin into thin strips; put them in a pan and into the oven at 325F. They take about 20 – 30 minutes to render all their fat… but it’s a good idea to check every 10 minutes and stir them around.

When they are golden brown, drain them on a paper towel and season with salt. There will be a lot of fat leftover in the bottom of the pan. Whatever you do, don’t pour it down the skin. I usually let the pan sit until the fat sets up and then pour it in the trash. This fat has a slightly burnt taste to it, so I don’t want to save it for confit.


You can cook the duck breast according to your favorite recipe. A personal favorite is this one from Thomas Keller. But since we’re in the height of autumn, I, instead, seasoned the breasts with a little allspice, in addition to the de rigueur salt and pepper, sautéed them in a pan for 7 minutes on each side and served them alongside butternut squash gnocchi. The duck cracklings were a wonderful textural contrast to the soft textures of the meat and dumplings. And for as much as I love my vegetables, you just don’t get that kind of crisp.

When I started out cooking this dinner, I had thought I would post about the gnocchi. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the duck cracklings. The Brussels sprouts are ready to be harvested, so I will make the gnocchi again to serve with them (and a little bacon). I will give you that recipe then… Stay tuned…

From the garden: sage leaves.






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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:11/18/2009 01:44:00 PM Duck cracklings! I love it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous jo DATE:11/18/2009 08:40:00 PM Mmmm duck skin! I had to do that last new years when i had an army over and did a sous vide on the boobs. I wanted the skin crispy so I cooked it up as cracklins. My friend David - who occasionally sneaks over to our house in ME in the AM while we are making breakfast to snag bacon without his husband knowing, ate almost the entire bowl. I think that is a brilliant way to do it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Sylvie DATE:11/19/2009 07:52:00 PM even if don't use it (the rendered duck fat) for confit you could use for other cooking such as frying potatoes! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger grace DATE:11/22/2009 05:49:00 PM i've never had duck, but i've had cracklins and it doesn't surprise me that these suckers stole the show. and my goodness--heaven forbid that fat get wasted!! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Boys and Girls DATE: 7/17/2009 03:35:00 AM ----- BODY:
Last year, I planted 20 zucchini seeds hoping for a bountiful squash blossom harvest. Any less would not yield enough blossoms for more than just a taste. Part of me was scared with this strategy because of the plants bountiful nature. I envisioned myself peddling zucchini up and down my street. It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.

I did not harvest a single zucchini.

And in case you’re wondering, it’s not because I harvested all the blossoms before they had a chance to metamorphose into zucchini. Early in the squash blossoms life, it reveals its destiny.

As the blossom grows, look at the stem. If the stem remains a stem: no zucchini.
Might as well harvest the blossom and enjoy them in one of these recipes:
Summer Vegetable Quiche
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms

For tips on when to pick squash blossom, read this post.

If the stem thickens to resemble a petite courgette, then you have the option to enjoy the blossom or leave it be to let the squash mature.

This year, I planted only 3 zucchini. I had my fill of blossoms last year, and now I just want squash. As these photos were taken today, I’m hopeful.

I’m curious to know what’s different this year. Already, the plants show signs of squash. Last year, there were none. I have a few theories:

1. The soil seems to be in better condition as witnessed by all the earth worms squirming around.
2. Last year, I planted a single seed every few inches, unlike the recommend 3 seeds per mound. I wonder if the seeds “mate” to produce the vegetables.

What do you think happened?

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Holly DATE:7/17/2009 11:30:00 AM What perfect timing, coming across your blog post on the boston.com homepage! I was just marveling over our own bounty of zucchini blossoms. They're quite beautiful--though I was wondering when the flowers would start to show signs of producing zucchini. Will have to check their stems when I get home this evening :-)

My flowers have already done quite a bit of opening and closing. If that's the case, are the flowers inedible? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Sven DATE:7/17/2009 12:25:00 PM Seeds don't mate. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:7/17/2009 02:50:00 PM This is why I leave the serious farming to others. I can barely figure out how to get people to "connect" versus playing matchmaker to plants! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Tracey DATE:7/17/2009 03:57:00 PM This is so interesting, I had the same exact thing happen to me last year. I purchased 5 plants, only one of them produced any squash, and even at that I only harvested 2 all summer!

I tried again this year, and have already found signs of the "baby squashes" so am hopeful that things will be different this time around. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous jo DATE:7/17/2009 08:34:00 PM I had purchased "self" fertilizing zucchini this year as they seemed to be the one thing I COULD NOT GROW.
For quite awhile I thought I had managed to choose the only hermaphrodite zucchini on the planet and they all chose male.
Finally this morning I peeked under some leaves and woo hoo baby...some zucchini are growing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:7/18/2009 02:33:00 PM The problem is that the fruit are not getting pollinated.
The solution: Hand Pollination
So how do you know which flower is which?
The male zucchini flower has a normal stem, and a single pointy bit inside it (the stamen) covered in dust-like pollen.
The female zucchini flower has a small fruit (ovary) behind it instead of a stem, and a more complex internal structure (the stigma). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:7/18/2009 10:02:00 PM Honestly I had no idea they did that. I hope you get your squash! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:7/19/2009 03:49:00 PM Holly -- the flowers are still edible, but they aren't very durable. Be sure to take out the staymen since it's quite bitter

Sven -- Thanks for that bit of info.

T.W. -- I think gardening is easier ;-)

Tracey -- Maybe it's something in the awful June rains that helped us along?

jo -- I think I also heard that for every 8 males, only 1 female plant.

Anon -- So how do you hand pollinate?

noble pig -- Me too! So far so good, and I'll probably enjoy a blossom or two, too. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:7/19/2009 09:29:00 PM I am a Boston native that lives in San Diego. I planted four seeds this year- roughly three feet from one to the next. I am eating squash with almost every meal. I am choking on squash. I brought in a bunch for people at work and still come home every day and have three or four more to pick. Friday, someone to whom I had given squash cooked a squash casserole and gave it to me . . . I was trying to get rid of it . . . If you don't get any this year I'll be glad to ship a few hundred pounds to you if you pay for shipping. Four seeds = squas overdose. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Karen DATE:7/20/2009 08:14:00 PM I'm getting little zucchinis that wilt :-( This year I'm trying "zucchette rampicante" (not sure if that's the correct spelling). It's a climbing-type zucchini I read about in The Four-Season Harvest. I've had so much bother with squash vine borers, I thought that I could outsmart them if the vines were lifted off the ground. Supposedly this is an extra-productive type but so far i only have 2 little zicchinis that made it past the sprout stage
:-( Lots of blossoms, though - I'll check out your post for how to cook them! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Reverse the Curse DATE: 3/12/2009 03:39:00 AM ----- BODY:

As I contemplate “Cook. Eat. Grow.” and how I’d like to reverse that trend, I consider my worst eating habit… snacking.

Now there’s nothing wrong with snacking. In fact, some diet experts suggest that regular snacks prevent excessive hunger and binge eating. My challenge is what I’m snacking on. The other day, I decided to prepare some healthy options. I roasted a spaghetti squash and made a batch of Fred Flintstone tomato sauce. I packed individual containers topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan. When the snack pangs hit, I could microwave a portion.

I was amazed at its high satisfaction quotient. A small serving – 1 cup of spaghetti squash and ½ cup of sauce – sated me for 2 hours…. Enough time to last me to the next proper meal. And the nutritional value is quite high.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

The microwave method:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds and inner soft pulp with a large metal spoon. Place face down on a plate and microwave about 2 minutes per half (multiple batches should be necessary) until BARELY soft. Let cool, then plunge a fork longitudinally through the inside flesh and work it from end to end to make the “spaghetti”. Use a metal spoon to get out the last strands.

The oven method:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and put cut side down on a baking sheet. Put into a 375F oven with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from oven and let cool. With a metal spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and inner soft pulp. Then plunge a fork longitudinally through the inside flesh and work it from end to end to make the “spaghetti”. Use a metal spoon to get out the last strands.

Season squash however you like, here are two options:

1. Salt, butter and parmesan cheese.
2. Capers, toasted garlic and olive oil

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger jesse DATE:3/11/2009 05:13:00 PM That looks delicious! I struggle most with snacking too... I have a bad, bad habit of what I call "mindless snacking", where I'd just stand at the kitchen counter and switch off my brain and munch on random things without really being aware of whether or not I'm getting full. Like you, I'm learning to set portions aside just for snack time... and oh, one thing that really helped me was to set specific times for me to eat... so even if I'm not that hungry at 4pm, I'll still have something small so that I'm not starving by the time I get to dinner. Love this recipe... what a treat! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:3/11/2009 05:43:00 PM i always fail miserably at cooking spaghetti squash! yours looks amazing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/11/2009 08:43:00 PM I know the snacking! I made these cookies and gave a bunch away yesterday. I had about a dozen left and decided to toss them in the freezer so I wouldn't be tempted by them. At midnight I pulled one out of the freezer and it was delicious frozen. It's hopeless. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Reeni DATE:3/11/2009 09:43:00 PM I just recently discovered I love spaghetti squash! What a great thing to snack on. The thing I hate most is going to the kitchen just cause I'm bored and not hungry. You know, when you just stare into the refridge and pantry hoping something will jump out at you. I started making a cup of tea when this happens, instead of eating something I don't really want. So far it's working. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/12/2009 12:03:00 AM When I'm really being good, I limit snacking to single items -- an apple, a hard boiled egg, something like that. Portion control is everything! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger White on Rice Couple DATE:3/12/2009 12:12:00 AM Don't fight the snack, just make the snack healthier, that's our approach. We are serious snackers, too. Love the spaghetti squash. it's such a fun gourd. Thanks for sharing. Todd ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:3/12/2009 12:19:00 PM Jesse -- good tip about setting aside specific times to snack.

Heather -- my first batch I over cooked... I didn't think it was possible.

noble pig -- Good effort putting them in the fridge! Next time, maybe make cookies that aren't tasty? :)

Reeni -- tea! another good suggestion! I always feel much better after tea.

Lydia -- I wish an apple would sate me! That's my biggest problem.

WORC -- I'm working on it.. Great tips all around! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Sara DATE:3/12/2009 10:05:00 PM This looks really good - back when I was just learning to cook, I made spaghetti squash for my family. It was a total disaster! They begged me never to make it again...I wonder if they've forgotten about that yet :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:3/14/2009 07:13:00 PM My current strategy is to try to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Probably not nearly as functional as snacking on healthy options.

I've looked at spaghetti squash in the grocery store, but always passed them over for lack of a plan or knowledge of how to cook it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: All Purpose Autumn - Squash Puree DATE: 10/06/2008 09:41:00 PM ----- BODY:

Acorn and butternut squashes are quintessential autumn. Not only are they delicious and nutritious, the burnt orange color beckons the crisp autumn air. My favorite preparation: pureed. In this form it is so versatile:
- Served as a side dish with pork, skate or duck.
- Thickened with parmesan and bread crumbs for a ravioli or cannelloni filling
- Thinned with chicken stock for a soup

Above, I served the squash puree with fried sage, seared skate, port wine sauce and the first of the season arugula and mizuna from the garden. As a soup, this recipe won second place at the locavore banquet last month. And it couldn’t be easier.

Squash puree
1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 royal gala apple, cored and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Slice squash in half from the root to the stem. Put cut side down on a baking sheet with about ½ cup of water. Bake at 375F for 1 hour, or until squash are tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the apples and onions. Saute until they start to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Remove squash from oven, scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop out the squash flesh and combine with apple/onion mix.
4. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
5. Adapt as desired.

That Extra Loving Touch:

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:10/07/2008 12:49:00 PM I have never done a puree or soup with squash and I really, really want to this year. Thanks for making it simple, it's very encouraging. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:10/07/2008 09:05:00 PM Love the combination of squash and sage, and I often use my abundant amount of sage in the garden (yes, I know you have lots, too!) as a fried garnish. What a great idea to have a versatile puree like this one on hand -- I'd mix it with some apples to make a soup. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:10/08/2008 06:12:00 AM melissa, you'll have to let me know if you try it!

lydia, I totally agree about the apples. And was I that obvious about the sage? :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:10/09/2008 03:50:00 PM I've always scooped the seeds out of the squash before baking, does leaving them in retain moisture? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:10/10/2008 09:26:00 AM Anon., I've heard that the squash is sweeter when you roast it with the seeds still there. I've never experimented with it, so I don't know this for fact. It definitely holds in more moisture. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:10/10/2008 01:40:00 PM Is frying sage as easy as it sounds? Would you mind providing directions? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:10/11/2008 05:36:00 PM Anon., Fried Sage is very easy... I fry it in about an inch of canola oil, over medium-high heat just until it turns bright green and translucent. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:10/13/2008 01:55:00 PM I like the squash soup too - I keep walking by the squash in the market thinking that I need to find a good soup recipe. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: When Life Gives You Lemons… OR squash blossoms. DATE: 8/08/2008 08:13:00 AM ----- BODY:
… Make Tempura!

I know that the zucchini plants yield about 1 fruit for every 8 flowers, or so. Given those odds, I planted about 20 plants hoping to optimize my potential for zucchini. So far, no luck, but I have plenty of blossoms.

The blooms need to be picked at about 5pm the day before they bloom. This will yield the largest flower – the better for stuffing. The flowers open up first thing in the morning, and close after about 2 hours. Once they’ve opened, they rot pretty quickly. But if you catch them before they open, they will last about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Given that, I started harvesting 3 days out for a dinner party on Tuesday. I yielded about 18 blooms, enough for a generous appetizer.

Stuffed-Fried Squash Blossoms with Roasted Tomatoes

18 squash blossoms, stamen removed
¾ cup fresh ricotta cheese
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs. fresh basil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

½ carrot, peeled and diced
½ celery stalk, diced
½ onion, diced
1 tbs. butter
2 cups chopped tomatoes
½ cup white wine
½ cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup flour
½ cup corn starch
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
½ cup ice cold soda water

1 cup plain oil

Mix ricotta, parmesan and basil together. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Gently stuff each squash blossom with about 1 tbs. of filling.

Meanwhile, sauté carrots, onions and celery in butter. After 5 minutes, add wine and tomatoes. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Puree with parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the tempura batter: Mix together the flour, corn starch and salt. Add the egg and soda water. Whisk just to combine.

Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Dip each squash blossom in the batter and add to the pan. Cook until lightly golden on both sides, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately with sauce.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:8/09/2008 11:00:00 PM Great tip about what time of day to harvest -- I'll pass this along to my squash-growing friends. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:8/15/2008 02:01:00 PM Fried squash blossoms are one of life's great joys, for sure. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/16/2008 09:26:00 AM They sure are, Sally! What's your favorite stuffing? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Recipes for the Impatient Gardener DATE: 7/14/2008 09:36:00 AM ----- BODY:
I’ve always known my garden is a few weeks behind everyone else. As I spy the neighbors’ yards in early spring when the crocuses start to burst, mine are still under a mound of snow. And when I go to the farmers markets, they already have mounds of zucchini, while I only have flowers. Their kohlrabi is just winding down, and mine still has a few weeks to go before harvest. Nonetheless, I’m eager to push the garden along.

Two weeks ago, I reported that the tomatoes had flowered, but not produced fruit. A little on-line research yielded a useful tip… Cut the leaves below the first flower. This enables to the plant to focus its energies on producing fruit as opposed to maintaining the foliage. Sure enough, two days later the first bump of a tomato emerged. Now all tomato plants show fruit, though still several weeks away from ripeness.

At dinner Thursday night at Garden at the Cellar, we munched on Fried Green Tomatoes with Smoked Paprika Aioli. One friend opined that the origins of this dish come from resourceful gardeners using up end-of-the-season tomatoes before the first frost hit. Knowing the tomatoes wouldn’t have a chance to ripen, they picked and fried them.

To offer this dish seasonally, it should only appear on menus in the fall. I would counter that fried green tomatoes are also a great option for the impatient gardener looking to cook something before the crops are truly ripe. Should you go this route, be sure to pick the tomatoes when the green has a “matte” finish. Once they become shiny, they’ve reached a different level of maturity and will get mushy when cooked.

Zucchini is the ideal crop for the impatient gardener. The plant produces flowers at a prolific rate. Most flowers are male and will not produce a vegetable, so there’s no harm in harvesting them. If the flower is attached to a thick stem, likely it will produce a squash. For me, I’m happy to just eat the flowers. I know in a few weeks, I’ll be up to my eyeballs in squash and peddling them the way I did sage.

Fried Green Tomatoes with a Squash Blossom Relish.
3 green tomatoes
½ cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fine corn meal
½ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Pinch cayenne
2 slices bacon
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. capers
12 squash blossoms, stamen removed
2 tbs. canola oil

Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. Soak in buttermilk.

Season cornmeal with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Dice bacon, and cook in a skillet until the bacon starts to render fat, and the bacon just starts to look crispy. Add garlic and cook for until the garlic is lightly golden. Pour off any excess bacon fat and set aside. Add capers and squash blossoms and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil with leftover bacon fat.

Dust tomatoes slices in the cornmeal dredge. Add to oil, and cook on the first side until golden brown, about 5 minutes on medium high heat. Flip and cook for 3 minutes more. Drain tomato slices on a paper towel and serve with chutney.

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