I’ve been keeping my eye out for zucchini blossoms during my past few trips to the farmers market, and finally spotted some this weekend. The last time I bought blossoms was the day before the earthquake – of course they did not get put to use – so it’s been almost two years since I last cooked with blossoms. I’ve only ever stuffed them with ricotta and pan-fried them, but I wanted to do something different this time. Space Cadet suggested doing a quesadilla, which sounded appealing and different. With her helpful tips and some inspiration from this recipe, I got to work on collecting the remaining ingredients.
I couldn’t find any Oaxacan cheese at Whole Foods, but I sampled some cave-aged Gruyere that they had out. Even though I’m not always crazy about Gruyere, this stuff was delicious and melts easily so I thought it would make a fine substitute. I also selected some healthier tortillas, which are my new favorite: Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Flour Tortillas with Flaxseed and Rolled Oats. Trust me, they’re great. I also made some salsa verde and avocado crema to serve with the quesadilla, because why not?
Zucchini Blossom Quesadilla
- 1 small poblano pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 2 large whole grain flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup grated cave-aged Gruyere cheese
- 6 zucchini blossoms, stems and stamen removed and torn into smaller pieces
Avocado Crema
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 TB nonfat Greek yogurt
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt
- pinch of smoked paprika
Fresh Salsa Verde
- 5 tomatillos, quartered
- 2 serrano chiles, stems removed
- 6 cilantro sprigs, stems removed
- 1/4 cup water
Start by roasting the poblano pepper. Cook it close to the broiler for 5 minutes, turning once halfway through. Transfer the pepper to a plastic bag and seal. Let sit for 20 minutes, then peel the pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Chop into small pieces and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the salsa verde. In a food processor, combine tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and water and pulse until the salsa is coarsely chopped. Transfer to a serving bowl. For the avocado crema, mash together all ingredients and season to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Once hot, add onion, garlic and poblano and sauté for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the excess oil off the pan with a paper towel.
Return the pan to heat and add a single tortilla. Flip the tortilla once it starts to puff up a bit – about 30 seconds. Add the cheese, pepper and onion mixture, and blossoms. Top with another tortilla and heat for about a minute. Carefully flip the quesadilla so that the top tortilla browns, and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and slice into 6 pieces. Serve with salsa verde, avocado crema, and a dry floral white wine such as Gruner Veltliner or Albarino.
These quesadillas were really yummy, especially with the addition of fresh salsa verde! I made a ton of it, so I will be sure to repurpose it throughout the week, even though it’s quite spicy. And I am so happy to have found another way to enjoy my precious blossoms. Next time I think I will try putting them on pizza. Yum!
Seasons of Wine 