the art of squash

My most sincere apologies for leaving you alone for several days with nothing but images of slimy gastropod romance.  They were definitely not the theme of our weekend — and, hopefully, not of yours.

The last several days in the life of feral garden have been dominated by an abundance of tomatoes, more squash, and — most notably — squash blossoms.  My anxiety over their delicate nature has been successfully replaced by a total obsession with using these beautiful yellow flowers for all kinds of edible arrangements.   A special series of posts on squash blossom cooking (with even more photos) is forthcoming.

For now I give you these 2 dishes from our lunch on Friday:

Roasted Pattypan (Scallop) Squash and Chickpeas With Anchovy and Herbs Dressing — based on this recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini.  (You might remember its alien-ship shape from this post.) Not the most obvious combination of ingredients — but a real breath of fresh air in the world of pattypan squash, especially if you — like myself — love anchovies.  But even if you don’t, their scent and flavor are not at all overwhelming and the entire thing tastes surprisingly summery and refreshing.   I used larger pattypan squashes that were much bigger than the recipe suggests, and they came out tasting great — except that one of them had already developed a pretty thick skin which had to be scooped aside on the plate.

Pizza With Squash Blossoms Stuffed With Ricotta-and-Fresh-Herbs –  this recipe served as a general inspiration but we made quite a few alterations:  I stuffed the blossoms (with a mixture of Ricotta, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp flower and herbs instead of cutting them in half) and James made the dough following these instructions.

The pizza came out so pleasing to the eye that I wasn’t sure whether to serve it or hang it on the wall.  As a matter of fact, every step of the process was aesthetically stimulating, and I’m very happy that Anna and I did not fail to take a bunch of photos!

cleaned, stamens removed

stuffing - ricotta & fresh herbs

stuffed squash blossoms

edible arrangement 1

edible arrangement 2

coming out of the oven

eat or hang on the wall?

same question, twice

my favorite shot, courtesy of Anna

And another, entirely unexpected, work of squash art revealed itself at the bottom of the baking pan I used for roasting the squash.  Naturally, I took a few photos before soaking it…

Alright, enough cuisine art for one day.  By the way, we’re back in the city with 2 boxes filled with overgrown squashes and green tomatoes.  Any takers?  Before I turn them into pickles and spreads?..

PS: Dear slugs, I realize this rain puts you in a romantic mood but please use birth control! And also, try to control your munchies.