Masa Fried Squash Blossoms on Black Bean and Corn Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

8 male squash blossoms females have the squash attached to the blossom

Cheese filling for the blossoms

4 oz pepper jack cheese grated
4 oz cream cheese
¼ of a small red onion diced
2 green onions diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until they are all combined. Remove the stamen from the inside of the squash blossom and spoon the cheese filling inside leaving enough room to twist the petals closed at the top. Set the blossoms aside for frying later.

Notes

Masa Batter

1 egg
1 ½ cups masa
1 tsp salt
soda water and ice

Instructions

Whip the egg until light and airy then fill a 4 cup measure with ice and pour soda water over the ice until it reaches the 3 cup line on the measuring cup. Strain the ice cold soda water into the egg and mix together. Then gently mix the masa and salt with the wet ingredients. The cold soda water will give you a light airy batter that will be crispy when fried.

Dip the blossoms in the batter and fry in a heavy bottom pan with canola oil until golden in color.

Red Pepper Sauce

2 fire roasted bell peppers
2 cloves garlic
½ cup diced yellow onion
½ cup diced heirloom tomato
1 ½ cup vegetable stock
2 tsp whole cumin seeds

Instructions

Cook the bell peppers on a grill until their skin is black. Then scrape the skin off and remove all the seeds. Do not clean the pepper with water because you will wash the flavor down the drain. Once you have the peppers clean sauti the cumin seeds, garlic and onions until they start to look clear. Then add the roasted peppers and tomatoes and sauti for five minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring the sauce to a boil. Then simmer for 20 minutes. Season the sauce well with salt and pepper then puree in a blender. The sauce will be hot so cover the blender with a towel so the hot air can escape. If you seal the container the hot liquid may squirt out the top.

Blackeye Pea Salad

2 cups cooked blackeye peas
1 heirloom tomato diced
3 ears of corn cut from the cob
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp ground toasted cumin
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

First toast whole cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until the aroma fills the air. It is nice to have a coffee grinder that is used especially for spices, but if you dont have one use the bottom of pan to crush the seeds. Set the ground cumin aside. Over medium heat sauti the garlic, then add the tomato and corn and sauti for another minute. Finally add the blackeye peas and ground cumin, then season with salt and pepper. Place the warm salad in the center of a plate with squash blossoms and the salmon Roulade on top and the red pepper sauce around. Place cilantro leaves on the plate for garnish and enjoy with a nice glass of syrah.