7.7.10

I like some squash in my blossom

This seasonal pasta recipe looks amazing! Published on the Globe and Mail online site, it features zucchini and zucchini blossoms in a light cream sauce, which would be updated to be a lemon cream sauce, or maybe even by adding a little thyme. Mostly I'm copying it here so I have it to hand when guests are coming over next week. I'm praying for zucchini in the CSA but can hit up a farmer's market if needs be.

Ingredients
6 ounces fresh fettuccine or dried spaghetti cooked al dente
12 baby zucchini with flower, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped finely
1/2 clove garlic thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 ounce butter
salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
2. Warm enough olive oil to amply cover the bottom of a large lidded sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add shallot and, with the lid on, sweat them off (cook until translucent but not brown), stirring occasionally.
3. Add the zucchini rounds and, with the lid off, cook until somewhat soft, approximately 6 minutes, flipping the rounds halfway through.
4. Add the butter and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to the pan, stir it in and turn up the heat to medium to let it thicken into sauce.
5. When the salted water comes to a boil, and while the sauce is thickening, add the fettuccine to the pot and cook until it is al dente, according to the instructions on the package. It will not take long.
6. Once the fettuccine is cooking, add the zucchini flowers and a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to the sauce, and give it a stir. Season to taste.
7. Drain the cooked pasta, incorporate it into the sauce, and serve immediately.
8. Fall in love.

The amounts listed only serve 2 as an appetizer, so keep the ratios in mind when you scale up to feed more salivating mouths.

1.7.10

The Muffin Myth

Time to add a new food blog to your blog roll! My friend Katie has finally got her new blog project up and rolling. The Muffin Myth will dispel some of your false conceptions about healthy and not so healthy foods, and provide delicious recipes featuring fresh, seasonal, ripe produce. The first drool-worthy post is about her bran muffins which are more than famous around Vancouver, soon to be a staple in Stockholm and in your freezer! There's only the one post now but it will soon be updated with more and more slobbery delicious recipes and info. Go check it out! I've also added it to the right sidebar here for your convenience.

PS. I know the exciting news about The Muffin Myth threatens to take you away from Liminal Me immediately, but don't miss out on my Quinoa Bread post below!