This Mexican classic, Quesadillas with Squash Blossoms – Quesadillas de flor de calabazas – is filled with summer squash blossoms sautéed with garlic and onions and Oaxaca cheese.
Have you ever eaten pumpkin blossoms? The thought of making them always seemed a little daunting until a friend made me some for a traditional Mexican quesadilla (Quesadilla de Flor de Calabazas).
They are so easy! You simply chop them roughly and fry them with onions and garlic. The flavor is delicious, like zucchini but more tender, and perfect in a quesadilla with cheese and corn tortillas.
Finding squash blossoms for sale is another matter. They are used in Mexican and Italian cuisine. So if you have farmers markets that cater to these demographics, you’ll have better luck finding them.
Here they are very cheap. I bought about 30 flowers for about $3 at our local farmer’s market. They are only available in summer when zucchini and summer squash are in season.
If you’re a gardener who grows zucchini or other summer squash, you’ll have no problem sourcing them. Just pick the male flowers (the pollinators), not the female flowers that will support the squash. (Leave a few male flowers for their pollination work.)
How to distinguish male from female squash blossoms
You can tell the difference between them fairly easily – the male flowers grow closer to the base of the stem and if you look inside they have a long stamen covered in pollen. The female flowers are slightly more swollen at the base, which grow into a squash when pollinated.
Do you have a favorite way to prepare squash blossoms? If so, please let us know in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas.
Squash Blossom Quesadillas with Oaxaca Cheese
Traditionally, a small sprig of epazote (a Mexican herb) is placed in each quesadilla with the squash blossoms. You can also add a strip or two of roasted poblano chiles to the quesadilla.
ingredients
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1 Cup chopped Onion
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5 cloves from garlicchopped
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30 Summer Pumpkin Blossoms
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1 teaspoon butter
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12 White Corn tortillas
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8th ounces Oaxaca cheese (a Mexican spread cheese) or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
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Freshly chopped coriander for garnish
method
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Preparing the Pumpkin Blossoms:
Check the inside of the flowers for bugs (especially if you picked the squash flowers from your garden), rinse them if you find any, or if the flowers are dusty. Otherwise no need to wash.
Cut off the stems. Roughly chop the flowers, stamens and all.
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Sauté onions and garlic:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
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Add Pumpkin Blossoms:
and sprinkle with garlic and onions. Cook for a minute or two more, until the flowers are just wilted. Remove from stove.
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Heat tortilla until bubbles form:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or large, relatively sticky skillet over medium-high heat. Rub a little butter into the pan (just enough to add some flavor to the tortillas). Place a corn tortilla in the pan and heat on both sides until bubbles form in the tortilla, about 1/2 minute.
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Add the cheese and squash blossom mixture:
Place a slice or two of the cheese on one side of the tortilla. Garnish with a tablespoon or two of the squash blossom mixture.
Using a spatula, fold the other side of the tortilla over the side with the cheese and squash blossoms. Press down with a spatula. Cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned.
While the quesadilla is cooking, if your pan is large enough, you can begin heating another tortilla in the pan.
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Repeat, then serve:
When the cheese has melted, remove the quesadilla from the pan and prepare the remaining quesadillas in the same way. To serve, cut each quesadilla into triangles and top with salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado, black beans, Mexican queso crema (or diluted sour cream).
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 889 | calories |
| 30g | Fat |
| 136g | carbohydrates |
| 34g | protein |
