A visit to the Harvard Farmers’ Market any Saturday will provide ideas for a terrific gourmet meal, complete with fresh vegetables, herbs, and even flowers for the table.
If you’ve never eaten squash blossoms, you’re in for a treat. The Hmong Flat Menor Farm of Lancaster offers freshly picked blossoms, which can be used to make a unique and delicious appetizer. These are the male blossoms of pumpkins, winter squash, or zucchini, picked early in the day when the petals are open. To use, gently rinse in cool water and store in ice water in the refrigerator until ready to use. The flowers can be stored for up to two days.
Stuffed squash blossoms
The batter:
1 cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
The stuffing:
¼ cup ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh basil or parsley
16 large squash blossoms, washed
Canola oil for frying
Prepare the batter first. Sift together dry ingredients, whisk in beer until smooth. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If it is too thick after refrigeration, add a few drops of water to return to original consistency.
Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Mince garlic and herbs in a food chopper or with a knife. In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs. Open the blossoms and spoon about ½ teaspoon of the mixture into the center of each. Avoid overfilling. Securely close the blossom by twisting the top. Place on a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of ½ inch. Coat a cube of bread with batter and place it in the oil. When it has turned golden brown, the oil is hot enough for frying the blossoms. Dip each stuffed blossom into the batter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer blossoms to the hot oil and cook until golden on all sides, about three minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt, if desired, and serve immediately. Serves four.
The salad
Mixed greens or micro greens from Sarah Tracey’s Dharma Harvest in Harvard make a perfect salad with crumbled goat cheese, pear-shaped tomatoes, and tossed with your favorite dressing.
The first entrée
For the first entrée, try mozzarella-and-fresh-basil-stuffed ravioli from Fior D’Italia Cheese of Manchester Center, Vt. They offer more than a dozen varieties of stuffed ravioli, making the choice difficult. Top with a fresh tomato basil vodka sauce. Tomatoes are at their best now and are available from several farmers, including Springfell, Evans, and Applefield farms.
Tomato basil vodka sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic chopped
½ cup diced onion
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
⅓ cup vodka
¼ cup snipped fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Prepare the ravioli as specified on the package. Meanwhile, heat a skillet and add olive oil to sauté garlic and onions. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer for five minutes. Add the vodka, simmer for two minutes, and toss in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add ravioli to sauce and toss until well coated. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
The main entrée
For the main entrée the Harvard Farmers’ Market vendors offer beef, lamb, or fish selections. What could be more delicious than roast of lamb served with Irene Mannix’s mint jelly, new potatoes, and green beans with snips of herbs from Herbs Lyceum plants?
Roast lamb with garlic and herbs
Leg of lamb
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, snipped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, snipped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, snipped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
¾ cup white wine
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cut small slits in the meat, place it in a Ziploc® bag, and pour herb mixture into bag. Rub the mixture into the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to a day.
Preheat oven to 400º and bake lamb for 30 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer registers 135º. Serve lamb with mint jelly.
New potatoes and green beans with herbs
Boil potatoes and beans separately. When cooked, transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with snipped chives or other herbs.
Dessert
For dessert, you can pick up a delicious pie from The Biscuit of Somerville. Their pies are made with a shortbread cookie crust and a brown sugar crumb topping. Select from blueberry, peach, sour cherry, or strawberry rhubarb. The Biscuit also offers several breads and pastries.