Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Sweet Corn Pudding, with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Pesto

---

Prep time:  30 mins.    Cook time:  10 mins.    Serves:  2

---

Late August brings with it the rewards of a whole summer’s worth of work in the garden.  The greatest of those rewards for me being squash blossoms.  While squash blossoms great fresh and tossed in a salad or in a pasta dish, I wanted to make the blossoms the star in this recipe.  By stuffing them with a ricotta and herb mixture and then lightly batter frying, these blossoms become a  fresh and satisfying appetizer or light entree.  

Squash blossoms are very delicate and have to be handled with care when stuffing with the ricotta.  Slice the blossom open vertically, from the base to the top of the flower.  It’s better to slightly under fill the blossoms so that you have enough room to fold over and close the incision.  I would also suggest letting the  blossoms set up in the fridge for 20 to 30 mins after filling before battering and frying so that the filling does not run out once they hit the oil.  

While you could deep fry the blossoms in a more neutral flavored oil like vegetable, shallow frying in a pan with olive oil works great here.  Leaving a small bit of stem at the base of the blossom allows you to dip them in the batter and gently lower into the oil.  Fry the blossoms for one to two minutes on each side until a light golden brown then flip before allowing them to drain on paper towels.  

Ingredients:

• 8 cherry tomatoes; halved
• basil leaves for garnish
• ½ cup olive oil

Squash Blossoms-

• 8 squash blossoms
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano; chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil; chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Batter-

• ¾ cup seltzer
• ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• salt & pepper to taste

Corn Pudding-

• 1½ cup yellow sweet corn
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¾ cup light cream
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1-2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
• salt & pepper to taste

Basil Pesto-

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg yolk, chopped oregano, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  Cut open the squash blossoms and gently fill the flowers with the ricotta mixture, then set aside in the fridge to set.

Add the butter and corn to a small pot and lightly saute.  When the corn has begun to cook, add in the cream, sugar, salt and pepper and cook down until the cream has reduced by roughly half.  Add the corn mix into a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add the corn mix back to the pot and return to heat, adding in the cornmeal.  Stir the corn pudding, adding in more cream or cornmeal in necessary until you achieve a thick, smooth texture.  Set aside.

Add the basil, walnuts, lemon juice, cheese, garlic to a food processor.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper then set aside.  

In a bowl combine the seltzer, flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper with a whisk until well mixed.  Add the olive oil to a saute pan and place over medium heat.  Once the oil is heated, dip the blossoms one by one in the batter and then add to the pan.  Work in small batches, frying the blossoms for 1-2 minutes on each side.  

Plate the corn pudding before staggering your squash blossoms out.  Garnish with the cherry tomatoes, basil leaves,  and pesto.  

Red Pepper Marinated Marinated Shrimp, Charred Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Radish, Red Onion, & Avocado Cream

---

Prep Time: 20 mins.    Cook Time:  30 mins.    Serves:  2

---

This recipe is a great light appetizer for your next outdoor get together.  The light heat from the crushed red pepper on the shrimp is balanced out by the refreshing flavors in the avocado cream.  The char on the tomatoes also gives them a nice smoky flavor that lends some depth.

When purchasing your shrimp at the store for this recipe remember; size matters.  Shrimp are sold by the pound, and are labeled by an approximation of how many shrimp (shell included) are in that pound.  16/20 shrimp for example (the kind called for in this recipe) contain between 16-20 shrimp per pound.  You can of course get larger shrimp should you desire, but smaller wouldn’t lend themselves well to this application.

Marinate the shrimp in garlic, crushed red pepper, basil, and olive oil for at least 30 minutes before sauteing, this will ensure they have absorbed enough flavor.  For the avocado cream, make sure to select ripe avocados that are still a nice bright green.  Under ripe avocados can be placed in a paper bag on the counter to speed the ripening a little.  

Ingredients:

Shrimp

• 8 raw 16/20 shrimp; shelled and cleaned
• ½ cup heirloom cherry tomatoes; halved
• 2 radish; shaved
• ⅓ cup red onion; shaved
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 2 clove garlic; finely chopped
• 2 tbsp basil; finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Avocado Cream

• 2 ripe avocados; pitted, peeled
• ½  cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp basil; finely chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add marinated shrimp.  Cook the shrimp, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp are bright red and cooked through (approx. 10 mins).  Place shrimp on a paper towel lined plate and reserve.

Process avocados, sour cream, vinegar, oil, 2 tablespoons basil in a food processor until mixture is very smooth, light, and thick. Season with salt.

For the tomatoes; place the halved tomatoes cut side down on a sheet tray.  Using a butane food torch, char the skins of the tomatoes.  If you don’t have a torch, you can also use a heavy skillet.  Heat the skillet over high heat until smoking, then add the tomatoes skin side down until they become charred.  

Plate your avocado cream before stacking your shrimp and garnishing with the charred tomatoes, radish, and shaved onion.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Dates & Golden Raisins, Salad of Arugula, Fennel & Blood Orange, with Blood Orange Gastrique

---

Prep Time:  1 hour    Cook Time:  30 min    Serves: 4

---

Pork loin is a fantastic protein for its versatility.  It’s also cheap, which is arguably a better quality.  This dish however, is luxurious and would be at home on any fine dining menu. Serve this to impress guests at a dinner party, or as a treat for a weekend dinner with the family.

A note on cooking pork.  Until quite recently, it had been suggested to cook your pork all the way through to 165 degrees.  Anyone who has had a dry pork loin before will know this is overdone.  To the joy of chefs everywhere -who had been insisting on the change for years - recommended temperature has been lowered to 145 degrees.  Since a stuffed roast pork loin is relatively large, resting the pork like a steak will allow it to come up to temperature gradually without risk of overcooking.  I recommend cooking your pork to an internal temperature between 135-140 degrees in  the oven, and allowing it to  rest and finish off the heat   This will produce pork with a slight rose-hue in the middle, but it is most definitely done.  The pork will be far more tender, juicy and flavorful at this temperature, rather than tough and dry.

---

ingredients:

• 1 2-3lb pork loin roast - butterflied
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

stuffing

• ½ cup chopped seedless dates
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 large shallot - finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic - minced
• 3 tbsp butter
• salt & pepper to taste

salad

• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 large fennel bulb - sliced thin on mandolin, leaves reserved
• 2 large blood oranges - skin and pith removed, cut into segments
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• gastrique
• ½ cup fresh blood orange juice
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• ¼ orange blossom honey
• 3 tbsp chicken stock

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt butter in large sauté pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic has browned and shallots have become translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add dates, raisins, and walnuts to the pan and stir to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until walnuts start to brown and stuffing has become fragrant.  Remove stuffing from heat and add mix to a bowl and set aside.

Lay butterflied pork loin out on your cutting board and season heavily with salt and pepper.   Lay a thin layer of stuffing over the entirety of the pork loin and, beginning at one end, slowly roll up the loin into a tight cylinder and lay seam side down.  Using kitchen twine, tie the roast securely in 1” intervals.  Season the outside heavily with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a large skillet with 3 tbsp vegetable over high heat.  When the pan and oil are hot, sear all sides of the loin until golden brown.  Remove the pork loin from the pan.  Place pork on a lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven  for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees.   Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile, place a small sauce pot over low heat and add honey, vinegar, and blood orange juice.  Allow juice and vinegar to reduce over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.  Add chicken stock and reduce again, another 3-4 minutes.  Remove gastrique from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.  Assemble salad of arugula, fennel, and blood orange in a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Slice pork loin diagonally on a bias and serve alongside salad, drizzling salad and pork  with gastrique.  Garnish with fennel leaves.