Quesadillas With Oaxacan Cheese And Squash Blossoms Food

PURSLANE QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Tear the purslane into 2- or 3-inch pieces, stripping the little shoots from the main stems; discard the woodiest pieces.
• Lay the tortillas on your work surface. Sprinkle some cheese on half of each tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border. Put some purslane on top of the cheese, and drizzle about 2 teaspoons of the salsa verde on top. Top the purslane with the remaining cheese. Fold the tortillas in half.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the butter and melt until the foam just about subsides. Put in 2 of the tortillas and cook, pressing lightly with a spatula once or twice, until the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until the second side is brown and the cheese is melted, about 2 more minutes.
• Transfer the tortillas to a cutting board. Wipe out the skillet. Repeat with the remaining butter and tortillas, lowering the heat a bit if the butter or tortilla browns too quickly.
• Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately.

ZUCCHINI-BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Cook onion, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato breaks down, 3 to 5 minutes. Add blossoms and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Combine tortilla flour, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and knead until a uniform dough forms, about 1 minute.
• Pinch off enough dough to form a 1 1/2-inch ball and transfer to a plate; dough should be moist but not sticky. If necessary, knead in a little more tortilla flour or water. Form remaining dough into about 13 (1 1/2-inch) balls, transferring to plate, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Press 1 ball of dough between plastic squares in tortilla press to form a 5 1/2- to 6-inch tortilla (less than 1D16 inch thick). Peel off 1 plastic square, then, holding tortilla in your palm, put 1 rounded tablespoon cheese (1/2 ounce) on one side of tortilla and spread 1 rounded tablespoon filling in a flat layer over cheese, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Fold tortilla in half, using plastic square as an aid, and pinch edges to seal, flattening slightly.
• Make more quesadillas in same manner, arranging them in 1 layer and covering with plastic wrap.
• Very lightly oil comal (or pizza pan), then heat over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Cook quesadillas, 3 at a time, until edges loosen from comal and brown spots appear on underside, 2 to 4 minutes, then turn over and cook, gently pressing quesadillas flat with a metal spatula if necessary, until brown spots appear on underside, 2 to 4 minutes more. Serve immediately with salsa on the side.

QUESADILLAS WITH OAXACAN CHEESE AND SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 10-12 minutes; season with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe skillet clean.
• Toast a tortilla in the same skillet over medium-high until golden brown but not crunchy on one side, about 1 minute. Turn tortilla over and scatter one-quarter of cheese over one half of toasted side. Arrange 2 squash blossoms and one-quarter of onion mixture on top of cheese and fold tortilla in half to create a half-moon. Press down on it lightly to help tortilla adhere. Continue cooking, turning once or twice and pressing occasionally, until cheese is melted and tortilla begins to brown and crisp in spots (turn down the heat if needed), about 3 minutes. Transfer quesadilla to a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, squash blossoms, and onion mixture to make 3 more quesadillas.

SQUASH BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan with a little oil and saute the onion, garlic, and the roasted poblano pepper for 5 minutes, until the onions have become translucent. Then, add the squash blossoms and deglaze with chicken stock. Add the epazote, and cook for another 5 minutes until squash blossoms have wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.
• To compose the quesadilla lay the 2 of the tortillas on a flat surface. Distribute the cheese equally on both tortillas. Then, spread 1/2 of the squash blossom filling over the cheese. Cover with the other tortilla, place on heated griddle on nonstick saute pan with a little oil, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. When nice and golden brown on each side and cheese has melted, remove and cut into quarters.