Healthy Blogger Thursday: Seaweed and Sassafras

Happy Healthy Blogger Thursday!

I have to say that these guest posts are becoming the highlight of my week. I love hearing how other bloggers make it healthy and I love introducing all of you to some new blogs. There are so many amazing and inspiring food blogs out there. To view past healthy bloggers, check out the Badger Girl Healthy Buddies page.

This week’s healthy blogger has a special place in my heart. I feel like Abby and I are kindred spirits, or as my childhood hero, Anne of Green Gables, would say, we are bosom buddies. We share a passion for real food and taking the time and effort to buy local products. I always look forward to her comments and to reading her refreshing blog, Seaweed and Sassafras.

For this week’s post, I had to laugh out loud when I got the recipe. Don’t get me wrong, it looks amazing, but after last year’s experience with zucchini blossoms, I have to laugh or cry whenever I see them. And just so you know folks, if you pick the blossoms then you won’t get any fruit. Not that I did something as foolish as picking all the blossoms last year. No, I wouldn’t do that…

As Abby did, I highly recommend buying these delectable blossoms and you should really try her recipe. It looks amazing!

Without further adieu….

heeeeerrrreeee’s Abby!

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Hi!  I’m Abby from Seaweed & Sassafras.  I confess I immediately fell in love with Kimberly’s blog.  She’s such an inspiration, and breath of fresh air.  We share a passion for real, good, food and a hunger for knowledge.  I love reading her posts knowing I will be learning something new.  Thank you so much for having me!

It was our special thing when I was growing up, every Wednesday after school my mom and I would drive the 30 minutes to a farmers market north of our house.  It was a small market, but it was full of treasures to me.  I loved to pick out a little cup of freshly cut flowers and a pillowy round of fresh rolls.  I would spend the entire drive home pressing my nose against the plastic wrapping, breathing in the fresh yeast smell.

Now when I go to Farmer’s Markets I’m still that little girl fascinated by each and every thing.  It takes me forever to get through, as I consider what to buy (I’d love to buy one of everything!) and how I might use it later.  But I couldn’t think of a better way to spend Saturday mornings than slowly making my way through the market with my husband and an ever-growing bag of goodies.

To find a Farmers Market (or Farm) near you, go to Local Harvest and just enter your zip code.

Squash Blossom Frittata

This recipe uses two of my latest treasures from our market here in Florida; farm fresh eggs from Green Cedars Farm  and delicate squash blossoms.   There’s nothing like a fresh egg, I love the different shapes and sizes, not mention if I get a blue-green egg I feel like I’ve won a prize.  Then cracking into it, to find the bright orange yolk… you just can’t go back to store bought.

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

2 Tablespoons Butter
9 Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Leek (or 2 Green Onions) cleaned & chopped
2 Yellow Squash, chopped
1 Tablespoon Garlic, chopped
1/3 Cup of Shredded Italian Cheese Blend
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
9 Squash Blossoms

1. Time to clean the leek…a daunting task but worth it.  Be sure to peel back the layers to get the soil that’s hiding down in there.  And to prepare the squash blossoms, remove the stems and outer green pokey parts – not the best description in the world so I took a picture.Don’t forget to remove the stamen inside the flower!  (I forget every time and end up fishing the flowers out and pulling it out last minute.)
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Go ahead and chop all of the ingredients now, so you can just toss everything together later.  So chop the yellow squash into small pieces, cut it in half length-wise, and then in half again and then cut into pieces.  Chop the leek or onions, and garlic.
4. In a large bowl crack the eggs, add the milk and cheese and whisk together.
5. Okay, now you’re ready to go.  In a oven safe pan melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Sauté the leek (or onions) until translucent – just a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the squash and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Now add your garlic, cook for a couple minutes more.  Stir the ingredients every now and then to avoid sticking to the pan.
6. Now pour the egg mixture into the pan, and stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.  Now lay your squash blossoms on top.  Just let it cook until it looks about half set, so the bottom looks like an omelet but the top is still watery.
7. Put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes and bake until golden and puffed, mine took the whole 15.  And enjoy!

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