Farmers' Market

I love going to the Farmers' Market, during the summer, all of the merchant tents are so colorful. I can find every fruit, veggies and flowers of the season. The atmosphere of the fresh food and friendly farmers is a wonderful feeling. I buy the flowers, the organic fruit and veggies. The strawberries are so sweet and grown locally and at the same time, I am also helping support the local growers and eating healthy; it's coming straight out of the ground from the farmer, not sprayed, or far from somewhere else. I enjoy cooking so it is a pleasure to bring fresh organic produce home. However, I go for one specific item and this is the summer squash blossoms. This is the only time of the year they grow abundant of these edible flowers. Unfortunately, they are rarely found in grocery stores because they are so perishable. However, local Farmers' Markets are overflowing with this delicious blossom this month.
Every Thursday, I grab my canvas bag with my dog Pan Cake and we walk over to the Farmers' Market. The first thing I buy is several bouquets of these brightly colored blossoms. There are several varieties of squash blossoms but my favorite is the zucchini blossom. Sometimes they have the baby zucchinis attached to the flower, that is the female blossoms and the male flowers grow directly from the stem. One of the merchant at the Farmers' Market told me this.

In Mexico, the blossoms are know as flor de calabaza, they are popular all over Mexico and are usually fried. I believe Mexico know best, they indulge in the entire fruit, eating not only the flesh but its blossom as well. My mother made these luscious squash blossom recipes. She was a very good cook any dish she made was scrumptious with all sorts of flavors. While she cooked, I helped her cut the veggies and did the clean-up while I listen to her tell stories of her childhood growing up in Mexico during the revolution. I heard these stories many times and enjoyed hearing them over and over again. Now, I enjoy cooking her favorite dishes and these memories of her childhood, I pass them to my daughter.

After visiting several of the merchants and buying some organic veggies and fruit among a huge bouquet of sunflowers, Pan Cake and I walk home contemplating what recipe should I cook with the squash blossoms. On the way home, I thought of an exciting idea, share my mother's enchilada recipe with my blog friends. I hope you make them and if you have any questions, please leave it in the comment box. I will get back to you as soon as I can...enjoy!

Authentic Squash Blossoms Enchiladas Recipe

To clean the blossoms, gently swish the blossoms in cold water to clean. Carefully twirl to remove most of the water and then drain thoroughly on paper towels. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Olive oil

1 to 2 chopped clove garlic (I use two...I love it!)
1/2 cup of chopped red onion (white or yellow is fine)
2 small to medium zucchinis chopped into small pieces
1 green finely chopped cerrano chili remove the seeds (chili is optional)
1 fresh corn-remove kernels from the cob or 1/2 cup of drain can corn

1 chopped roasted red pepper (fresh or from a jar)
1-2.25 oz can of sliced black olives drain
two handfuls of fresh chopped cilantro (coriander)
1 tsp. of finely chopped fresh oregano or dry if fresh is not available
2 bunches of squash blossoms about 20
Salt and pepper for seasoning

1 chopped clove garlic
3 cups of homemade tomato sauce or a can 16 oz tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. of ground cumin
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock-if using can tomato sauce use a little more of stock
Salt as you like it

2 cups of shredded Mexican queso fresco or white Monterrey cheese
1 dz of corn tortillas-try not to buy thin ones, they break easily
Chopped avocados or sour cream for garnish.

Step 1-Veggie Mixture: Pour just enough oil to cover a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender. Add the next three ingredients in skillet, stir several times and cover until zucchinis are tender. Add the next four ingredients, stir for a few minutes, add salt and pepper, turn off the flame and leave it uncover. If zucchinis are not quite cook, no worries once the enchiladas are in the oven it will complete the process.

Step 2-Sauce: On another skillet, do the same, pour enough oil to cover the skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic, saute until tender; add tomato sauce and the next three ingredients. Stir and add salt and pepper to your liking, lower the flame to minimal. The mixture is loaded with flavors and the sauce is light not thick.

Step 3-Assemble Enchiladas: Pour some tomato sauce on a casserole dish just enough to coat the bottom. Heat one tortilla at a time until soft then dip both sides of the tortilla in the hot tomato sauce. Place on the casserole dish, add even amounts of the cheese (I slice the cheese instead of grading it) and mixture in the tortilla, then roll the tortilla. Continue with this process with the rest of the tortillas.

Final Step-Pour the remainder of the sauce on top of the assemble tortillas, top with shredded cheese. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until dish is heated through and bubbling. Uncover, let it stand for six to ten minutes before serving.

Top with chopped avocado or sour cream...there is one more image, click to older post to see.

I hope you enjoy them...my husband, Doug loved them...hmm he is a happy Bubba!

My Best Friend

This is my best friend Norma; we grew up in the same town in Calexico, Ca. Went to the same schools but we never hung out together. I had my friends and she had hers, when we past each other in-between classes we just smile and said hi. I graduated, was married and left the hometown setting to move to the big city of San Diego. Twenty years later, I was single, my children were grown up and I was enjoying my new life. One day I bump into a girlfriend from my hometown, we talked for a while and then she invited me for a small dinner party at her home. I accepted the invitation and was excited to see who the guest were. I arrived early to my friend's house and as we were making small talk in the kitchen while the other guest arrive Norma and her husband walked in. Seeing her big smile, I immediately recognized her; it was as if we had been friends for a long time. We talked and found out we lived in the same community; went to the same church; to the same grocery store. Our children went to the same schools, and her daughter and my older son were in the same class in middle school. Surprisingly we never cross pass all those years, but that evening a new friendship was created and we have been friends since. We make each other laugh so hard we make our self-pee and tears run down our cheeks. We tell our darkest secrets and our most fears, and tell each other the truth even if we are to blame. We hear each other out, when one of us needs to talk and bring our spirits up when we need some TLC. I knew that she was my best friend after she was by my side when my younger son, Nicholas died. She helped me get through those dreadful months of grief and pain.

Now, after so many years I feel my friendship I have with her is so rare to find, we are like kinder spirit together. If you have a best friend then you know, for not everyone is bless to have one. Those of us that do have one must never take for granted the gift given to us. I love my best friend, Norma is like the sister I never had.

Fulfilling my journey

I've been very busy this summer and have not had time to write on my blog until now. The summer is going so fast but enjoying it more this year, especially with my own family. I have five great beautiful grandchildren, Sophia, Myles, Chloe, Nicolas and Taryn. I have been spending more time with them since I retired and love every moment.

As a mother, I wanted to give my children the best of everything, yet often the one thing I did not give them is the best of my self. Yet, it is exactly that what they most wanted. As a young mother, I was very insecure and afraid to expose my weaknesses and fears. Painfully I learn too late that my children ache to be included in my world, for the chance to do something important, even be involved. I have had many hard lessons to learn since then with my children. Thankfully, they become responsible adults and good loving parents.

Now, I stopped pretending to be what I thought I was to be, and realized that I am only what I make of myself. I embrace grand motherhood now I have the chance to hand down my hard-earned wisdom and offer them my soul strength to make a difference in my grandchildren lives. Especially to give them all my love and affection, and the joy while they are growing up. To give this to them would be the most fulfilling journey in my life.

Tomatoes en mi Jardin

Tomatoes on my windowsill as if happy soldiers smiling at the sun while they patiently ripen. When I do my kitchen chores, I smile back, enlightened. one by one, I take down and add them to a salad, some salsa or perhaps stuff them on a sandwich.

Then to my garden to pluck another load; but I notice they are turning red as soon as I get them shelved, my garden calls me back. They're ripening all at once, I think, as I pick them up. From off the vine, they drop like flies, and my plot starting to look like road kills. I started given them to my neighbors; I give them to my family and friends. Now, I give them to anyone who wants them.

It was a great season for tomatoes...maybe next season I'll grow carrots.