Papery Husks and Powerful Flavor
I was so blown away by the beauty of the ingredients for this quick dish that I would rather not say a lot. Instead, let me just show you. As beautiful as the pictures are, the taste and texture of these quesadillas with tomatillo sauce and squash blossoms are even more exquisite.
Quesadillas with Tomatillo Sauce and Squash Blossoms
Inspired by a Mexican food vendor at the Headhouse Farmers Market
1 lb. or 3 c. of fresh tomatillos
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 hot pepper (such as Hungarian Hot Wax), diced
generous pinch of salt
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro or sorrel (optional)
1 T. lemon juice (optional)
6 fresh squash blossoms per quesadilla
2 flour tortillas per quessadilla
1/2 c. shredded cheese (mexican mix or other) per quesadilla
Husk tomatillos and give them a quick rinse to remove stickiness from skins. Place in a medium saucepan and add about 2 cups of water to cover. Place pan over medium heat and bring water up to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low and allow tomatillos to simmer for 10 minutes until they begin to pale in color and float to the top. Lift tomatillos out with a slotted spoon (they will be full of water) and put them into a blender.
Add diced onion and pepper and chopped herbs and lemon juice (if using) to the blender and pulse until a rough puree forms. If need be, add a little water from that in which the tomatillos boiled. Taste and add salt or more herbs as needed.
Once the sauce has been made, assemble quesadillas by spreading a generous layer of tomatillo sauce on a tortilla. Next sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over sauce and add squash blossoms before topping with the second tortilla. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Place quesadilla in skillet and brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes. Spray top with more cooking spray and flip to brown on the other side.
Serve immediately with extra tomatillo sauce on the side for dipping. For a little extra flavor, sprinkle a little coarse salt over the tops as soon as they come off the stove. Repeat process for each quesadilla. You can also add additional fillings such as shredded chicken or sauteed mushrooms.
(sauce makes enough for 4 quesadillas)
Another idea for using up the tomatillo sauce is to toss it with some roasted potatoes.
taylor said,
August 26, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
Pretty indeed. The melty cheese picture just made me hungry.
Jennie said,
August 27, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Taylor -
My work here is done.
Expat Chef said,
September 2, 2007 @ 10:05 pm
Beautiful photos! I am hosting the recipe carnival this week. Thank you for offering a lovely post and on topic with seasonal ingredients! I am a big advocate of eating local.
Jennie said,
September 3, 2007 @ 10:02 am
Thanks, Expat Chef! It’s great to have these recipe carnivals so thank YOU for hosting.
Rachel said,
September 5, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
Thanks for the tomatillos! Made the sauce today, full of flavor. Nice change of pace.
Jennie said,
September 5, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
So glad you enjoyed them, Rachel! Which pepper did you decide to use? I’m too shy to put in the hottest kind and kept mine fairly mild.
Activist Mommy : Vegetarian Carnival said,
September 10, 2007 @ 6:44 am
[...] presents Papery Husks and Powerful Flavor posted at Straight from the Farm, saying, “A really unqiue and easy Mexican recipe with lots [...]
Kids Dish » Blog Archive » Vegetarian Blog Carnival said,
September 12, 2007 @ 6:11 am
[...] recipe for Gazpacho is up and Jennie’s recipe for quesadillas with squash blossoms and tomatillos looks delicious. I submitted my T is for Tomato [...]
Bucky's Barbecue said,
September 15, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Carnival of food photography - September 2007
Here we are at the September 2007 edition of the Carnival of Food Photography! The emphasis is on summer oriented foods, to celebrate the passing of the season. Next month will focus on fall foods, but let’s spend a moment looking back at summer.
Week of Soup: Sassy Salsa « Straight from the Farm said,
January 16, 2008 @ 10:32 am
[...] 2 c. salsa verde* 1/2 c. canned diced tomatoes 2 c. vegetable stock 1 T. sugar 1/2 t. dried oregano 2 t. frozen [...]