Squash Blossoms & Sweet Corn

I was reading a post over at Daphne's Dandelions yesterday and she mentioned adding squash blossoms to her salad. I've heard of people eating them battered and fried but I don't remember hearing of others eating them raw. I decided to try it out tonight, so tonight, you get to see some more food photos!

Tonight's salad is pretty similar to the one from the other night- Simpson, red & Baby Romaine lettuce, borage, radish, Sugar Snap peas, broccoli (I remembered it tonight) and of course, a squash blossom, all from the garden. Actually, I think it's pumpkin but that crazy spaghetti squash may easily have crept over to the pumpkin side, so I'm not actually sure which it was. (Carrots from the store & cucumber from the farm stand).

Truthfully, I didn't really notice much of any flavor from the flower, but if sure did make the salad pretty! Perhaps I may have noticed it if I had fewer ingredients, but I really like the variety when it's so easily available. I did notice the fuzziness of the borage leaves in a couple bites tonight which was a little weird, but still ok.

On my way to town this afternoon, I discovered we have a farm stand in our little town! We have one corner that in the time I've lived here (about 1.5 years) has had a garden center (no plants, just other stuff), a different produce stand (from the western slope of CO), a car dealer, and now this farm stand. This one brings veggies from Rocky Ford which is a couple hours southeast of here. I bought a cucumber (mine are nowhere near ready) and three ears of Peaches & Cream sweet corn. I was pretty excited to find the corn and was especially happy that it really tasted pretty darn good (especially for an early corn). I think I was spoiled with the fresh corn my mom always picked up at the farm on the way home from work. Vermont has some really really good sweet corn. My husband thought he had tasted good corn until I took him home with me one summer. Of course, it ruined him for most of what we seem to usually find. I might just have to go back for some more tomorrow. The guy told me that it was fresh picked this morning and he intends to continue that practice for the rest of the summer. I hope he does!

I'm not sure how much I can call this a garden meal, but I so enjoyed the corn and the pretty salad I decided to post it. I roasted another head of (garden) garlic (I did a better job of cutting the top this time so it squeezed out much better- of course, I took it out just a little too soon, so it didn't spread well on the bread but it still tasted good) and I added some peppers to the top of the pork chops that I still had in the freezer from last year's garden (it was a nice idea but it kept the breading from getting crispy -bummer). There was a bit of fresh thyme on there and the bread crumbs came from a loaf of whole wheat bread that I messed up a while back (I think that one over-rose then fell and it was so dry I just crumbled it up and put the crumbs in the freezer). The pork chops weren't my best work but at least I have one left over to eat later. That corn is history though...

Look what I got today! More to follow on these...