Squash Blossoms Quesadillas
Squash Blossoms Quesadillas made with freshly made corn tortillas or with store-bought tortillas. You can see both options here. Either way, you make them, they make a delectable treat! Usually prepared with Oaxaca Cheese, but if you don't find it use Muenster, Mozzarella or your favorite melting cheese.
Squash blossom quesadillas are typically sold at the municipal markets and streets surrounding them, where a lady with a huge round griddle will be putting the white or blue corn masa (dough) forming this simple mouth watering parcels at her own rhythm as she handles the dough, place the filling of your choice, tenders the customers, turns the quesadilla, maybe adds a drizzle of lard, turns it a couple of times, until it gets a little toasty, and then she handles the hot quesadilla to you, feeding your body and your memories.
These type of quesadillas, the ones filled with squash blossoms, are more common in central Mexico, and even though the quesadilla vendors have many types of filling for their quesadillas, the squash blossom quesadilla is a special treat.
Other types of fillings for corn masa quesadillas are sautee mushroom, Oaxaca cheese, Roasted Poblano peppers cut into strips cooked with onions, huitlacoche (corn fungus considered the Mexican truffle), chicken tinga, chorizo and others that vary according to the vendor.
You can also add Squash blossoms to soups, stews, salads and I had even seen people using them to top pizzas. The other way that I like to cook them is stuffed with cheese, you can see the recipe for Stuffed Squash blossoms recipe here in the blog.
Last Summer while visiting a Latin grocery store almost an hour away going East from my place, I found these beauties you see in the picture above. So neatly packaged in this plastic box. You can’t imagine my excitement.
Yes, I know, you must be thinking: “exciting for Squash Blossoms”? See, for 2 Summers, I tried to plant, care for and harvest zucchini plants on my balcony without any success. One Summer only 2 flowers showed up. So I gave up on the fantasy that such plants will do well in this barely sunny piece of concrete.
Blue Corn Masa Squash Blossom Quesadillas
Now, my only wish is that we could have a well-stocked store like that one closer to my home. That way I could cook Zucchini Flowers stuffed with cheese, in a soup or a salad more often.
Update:
Since the time I wrote this post, we had moved to Texas, now the squash blossoms are in my small vegetable garden from Spring to the beginning of the Fall season.
Squash Blossoms Quesadillas
Quesadillas made with store-bought corn tortillas or Corn Masa flour
Instructions for the filling:
- Remove the steam from the flower, place flowers in cold water and gentle rinse. Place over paper towels to absorbed excess water. The blossoms are very delicate, handle with care. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Heat oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and serrano pepper if using. Tossing until onion looks translucent, about 3 minutes. Add Blossoms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, gently stir them until blossoms are heated through, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Epazote. Slightly cool before using.
Preparing the Squash Blossom Quesadillas with Corn Masa Flour
- Divide the dough into small golf-ball size pieces. Using the Tortilla press, place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic to form a circle. You can also use the method I used HERE. Add a little of the blossoms filling in one-half disc and some shreds of the cheese.
- Once the filling is placed, fold half the tortilla disc with the help of the plastic. Press the edges and remove the plastic holding the quesadilla in your hand like the picture below. (Traditionally the tortilla is placed directly on the griddle, sprinkled with cheese and topped with filling, and then folded. Here we will form the quesadilla first as making empanadas).
- Using a paper towel spread 1 teaspoon of oil or lard on a hot griddle. When the oil is hot place the quesadilla and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Make sure the griddle is not too hot, the outside will burn and the dough will not be cooked). Cook until is golden in both side and the filling is warm with a melting cheese. Repeat these steps with the rest of the dough, adding more oil as needed, this will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan.
How to make Squash Blossoms Quesadillas with Store bought tortillas
- Making the quesadillas with store-bought tortillas is easier since you just place fillings in each tortilla, fold and proceed to cook on the griddle as directed above.
Serve as soon as they are ready. If making several at once, keep them warm in a preheated oven at a low temperature.
SQUASH BLOSSOMS QUESADILLAS
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas
- 12 squash blossoms
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup Oaxaca cheese Muenster or any other melting cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion
- 1 small garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 small serrano pepper optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Epazote leaves*
- About 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil to grease the griddle.
Preparing the Quesadillas with Corn Masa Flour:
- 1 ½ cup of Masa flour
- Approximately ¾ cup of warm water.
Prepare the dough according to package directions. The dough has to be soft and not dry or crumbly. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Preheat a griddle over medium heat right before you start forming the quesadillas.
Instructions
- Instructions for the filling:
- Remove the steam from the flower, place flowers in cold water and gentle rinse. Place over paper towels to absorbed excess water.
- Heat oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and serrano pepper if using. Tossing until onion looks translucent, about 3 minutes. Add Blossoms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing until blossoms are heated through, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Epazote. Slightly cool before using.
Preparing the Quesadillas with Corn Masa Flour:
- Divide the dough into small golf-ball size pieces. Using the Tortilla press, place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic to form a circle. You can also use the method I used HERE. Add a little of the blossoms filling in one-half disc and some shreds of the cheese.
- Once the filling is placed, fold half the tortilla disc with the help of the plastic. Press the edges and remove the plastic holding the quesadilla in your hand like the picture below. (Traditionally the tortilla is placed directly on the griddle, sprinkled with cheese and topped with filling, and then folded. Here we will form the quesadilla first as making empanadas).
- Using a paper towel spread 1 teaspoon of oil or lard on a hot griddle. When the oil is hot enough place the quesadilla and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Make sure the griddle is not too hot, the outside will burn and the dough will be will not be cooked). Cook until is golden in both side and filing is warm with a melting cheese. Repeat these steps with the rest of the dough, adding more oil/lard as needed, this will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan.
Making the quesadillas with store-bought tortillas is easier since you just place fillings in each tortilla, fold and proceed to cook on the griddle as directed above.
Serve as soon as they are ready. If making several at once, keep them warm in a preheated oven at a low temperature.
Notes
Similar recipes Corn Dough Empanadas and Mushroom Quesadillas.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
Candace
Oh Mely! These look sooo good. I've been wanting to experiment with squash blossoms and haven't had the opportunity. I love what you did with them.
Pau F
OMG! I've been looking for zuccini/squash blossoms since I moved to the US 4 years ago to no avail, not even my latin grocery store sells them 🙁 my only hope is the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods that are opening in my town later this year so maybe I can make sopa de flor and quesadillas con flor too. these look crazy good!
Mely
Hi, Pau
Hopefully those store will sell them. Thanks for stopping by.
Mely
Angie Hernandez Newell
Plant a couple of seeds in a container. And in about a month you will have fresh blossoms for your favorite recipe. Mine is scrambled eggs with them
Swathi Iyer
Mely,
This is one I would like to try delicious. Love that fresh squash blossoms. I haven't seen here. Let ask my hubby to look for. If you have empanada cover post can you give link I need to make them.
Mely
Hello Swathi,
The link for the empanadas is already in the post. I hope you try them.
Mely
Maria Ontiveros
These look wonderful. I've only ever had the blossoms stuffed with cheese. I love your description of buying them from the vendor on the street.
Rinda
loves2spin
Oooooo!!! Those look fabulous, and what a great idea! I am usually able to grow these blossoms here. Thank you, Mely, for sharing this recipe!
Ruth Sagrario Macotela
Una de mis quesadillas favoritas( aparte de las de queso) !! Gracias Mely, por esta rica receta.
Ps: conteste tu comment hace ya un buen rato, no se si lo viste?
Saludos! y que estés disfrutando de un rico verano.
Chris
I have been looking for those for years and have never found them for sale. I want to do the stuffed/fried zucchini blossoms.
Karen
Hi Mely! We have zucchini in the garden and there are a few flowers on them... I'm looking forward to enough to do something with. These quesadillas look great!
Mely
Hi, Karen,
Lucky you to have a vegetable garden. Enjoy!
Mely
yarmo81
Very nice looking. I will spread the word!
Sam Schaperow, B.S., M.S.
Foraging.Posterous.com
yarmo81
Very nice looking. I will spread the word!
Sam Schaperow, B.S., M.S.
Foraging.Posterous.com
NORMA RUIZ
Me encantan se ven deliciosas, a mi hija le fascinan asi de queso con flor, rica receta Mely se te extraña, besos lindo fin de semana.
Sandra
my mom loves squash blossoms. i've actually never tried them, but if find some, i will try this recipe.
Byte64
Querida Mely,
come tengo flores de calabaza en el refri, hoy voy a hacer quesadillas de flor de calabaza en tu honor.
Un gran abrazo!
Tlaz
Mely
Un abrazo, Querido Flavio.
Saludos a tu esposa y familia.
Esto es una de las cosas buenas del blog. Conocer gente con gustos afines como tu aunque estemos lejos.
Mely
Gabriela, clavo y canela
Madre mía estas quesadillas estpan de lujo! me encantaron..
besos
Prieta
I love. LOve,LOVE quesadillas de flor de calabaza! I have 4huge plants of butternut and other squash growing in my back yard that are producing lotas do blossoms. I'll take your suggestion for our next meal. Mely, no Te pierdas! We miss you!
Mely
Hola Prieta,
Yo tambien extraño que escribas algo en tu blog.
Saludos,
Mely
Prieta
Ay!
Nora
Mely las quesadillas es uno de mis antojitos mexicanos prefreferidos. Me encantaron tus fotos y receta
Besos
Rebecca Subbiah
these look divine
Pily
En dón de conseguiste ésas flores????????' qué bárbara !!! qué delicia Mely!!!
Saludos , otra vez 😀
la Familia Veloz
I had no idea that you could eat squash blossoms, but it looks absolutely amazing!!! I cannot wait to look for these!
Amber Guerrero
Can't wait for summer! There is a market near my suegra's house -last time we visited two women were preparing these quesadillas on a large comal, with fresh blue corn masa tortillas. Was one of the best foods I've ever eaten! Thanks for posting!
mmartinez
Hello Amber,
Mee too. Love squash blossom quesadillas. I know Latin markets sell a canned version of them, but nothing beats fresh flor de calabaza quesadillas. Provecho!
Ginger Bardenhagen
Hola! I have baby squash and blossoms coming in right now in my yard. I don’t know when to harvest the blossom. Is it the blossom at the end of the zucchini or the male flower that doesn’t fruit?
Mely Martínez
Hello Ginger,
The male blossom is the one you usually use for cooking.
Julia Lamb
I haven't tried this yet, but I just want to tell you how excited I am to have stumbled upon your website! This classic Mexican cuisine is my all time favorite. I think I might just try all of your recipes, one by one! I'm sharing with my sister too! You are a godsend. 🙂
Mely Martínez
Hello Julia,
Thank you for visiting Mexico in my Kitchen. Have fun cooking!