Sopa De Flor De Calabaza Mexican Squash Blossom Soup Food

CALABAZA SOUP: SOPA DE CALABAZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the calabaza. Season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until tender, about 1/2 hour.
• In a large stockpot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and saute onions, green pepper, red pepper, and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes or until caramelized. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Deglaze with white wine. Add chicken stock and heavy cream and the roasted calabaza. Add the thyme. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 20 minutes. Puree all the ingredients. Strain the soup and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with vanilla-flavored whipped cream, if desired.

GOLDEN SQUASH BLOSSOM CREMA: CREMA DE FLORES DE CALABAZA

Steps:

• The broth: In a 4-quart soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Scoop out half of the onion and set aside. Add the broth and potato, partially cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
• The blossoms: While the broth is simmering, clean the squash blossoms: break off the stems, then the little green sepals that come out from the base of the blossoms (they originally covered the buds). Use your fingers to break loose the long pistils in the center of each flower and discard. With a very sharp knife, cut the blossoms cross-wise into 1/4-inch strips, including the bulbous base.
• Add half the blossoms to the broth and simmer 3 minutes. In a food processor or in batches in a loosely covered blender (or using an immersion blender), puree the mixture; return to the pot.
• The chiles: Roast the chiles directly over the gas flame, on a medium-hot gas grill, or 4 inches below a very hot broiler. Turn occasionally, until blistered and blackened on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes for the flame or grill, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand about 5 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, cut out the seed pod, then quickly rinse to remove straggling bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Finishing the soup: Add the chiles to the soup along with the milk and reserved onion; bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and corn, simmer a couple of minutes, then add the remaining squash blossoms. Simmer a couple of minutes longer (the strips of blossom will soften into deep-golden "streamers"), remove from the heat, stir in the cream, taste, and season with salt. Serve in warm bowls garnished with the chopped epazote or parsley.

SOPA DE FLOR DE CALABAZA -- MEXICAN SQUASH BLOSSOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot, melt butter and sauté the garlic and onions until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the corn kernels, chiles, and zucchini and cook for two more minutes.
• Stir in the mushrooms and squash blossoms and continue to cook, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer and additional 10 to 12 minutes.
• Adjust salt to taste.
• Serve with a tortilla squares and a spoonful of creme frâiche or heavy cream.