More squash blossoms

We invited Lindsay to join us on our weekly pilgrimage to the Ojai farmer's market yesterday. It's one of those things everyone wants to do until I tell them we get up there around the crack of 9 a.m. because that's when the best flowers are available -- and flowers are the main reason for the trip.

So Lindsay was all excited and gung-ho: we'll give you a call. Then we'll go out to breakfast. Then Sunday morning rolled around and she called and said Ryan didn't want to go, he was still sleeping. I said OK, but Rob smelled a rat and told Lindsay to just come over herself and we'd take her up there with us.

Lindsay called back: Ryan was really up and they'd go up separately. Check mate in the life game of chess we all play.
So we met up with them. It's really easy to spot Ryan in a crowd because he's 6'4" or close to it and he rises above the rest of us. Lindsay complains that he's too tall for her to dance with because she has to strain her back to look up that far.

We wandered around and picked out flowers. I got some more fresh eggs because the farmer's market ones are so fresh and good. I got my weekly allotment of salad greens from B.D.'s market. Then I saw some tiny squashes with squash blossoms at one stand -- these aren't the ones that are sold at the big artichoke, pencil thin really expensive asparagus place. These were much smaller. So I had to get them. I also got some really cool heirloom cherry tomatoes that I'm going to use to create a recipe for the National Chicken contest.

I love my weekly expeditions to the farmer's market. I run into people I know and the drive is so cool up the 33 to Ojai on Sunday mornings. It's kind of my version of church.

I know I've written about stuffed squash blossoms before. But I created a different recipe for them last night and they really came out well. I've been making all kinds of peach cobblers and my peach streusel bundt cake (recipes are on this blog for August 2007), so it was nice to make something else for a change.

Stuffed squash blossoms, take two

1 cup canola oil or enough for 1/2 inch of oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup milk (or as much as it takes to make a thick paste, about the consistency of pancake batter)
1 teaspoon or to taste Trader Joe's barbecue, grill and broil seasoning (this stuff is great it as no salt and is just peppers, garlic, onion and herbs)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
10-15 squash blossoms with squash attached, if possible. Some of these will fall apart because they're very very delicate. Don't worry, just fry each part up separately, remembering to stuff the blossoms with cheese
Pepper jack cheese

Heat the oil until it's rippling and hot and turn down to medium heat. Mix flour, cornstarch, grill seasoning and salt with milk until smooth, pancake-like batter forms. Very carefully separate the blossoms and put pieces of pepper jack cheese in the middle of the blossom. Handle very gently, because these are so delicate. Dip the stuffed blossoms in the batter and coat. Cook battered squash in hot oil and cook about 5 minutes on a side or until golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels. Serve these with jalapeno jelly..