The food segment on NPR’s All Things Considered this evening got me thinking about one of my all-time favorite dishes. These YUMMY barbecued pork buns are a lot easier to make than you might imagine. This recipe comes from the Essential Kitchen Series: Dim Sum

Photographs by James Edward Mills

I get a lot of good ideas from National Public Radio. Back in June I heard on Morning Edition a story that introduced me to an unusual delicacy that’s very common if you’ve got a family garden and raise squash. My wife Shamane raises all kinds of vegetables on a plot land we rent from the University of Wisconsin, Madison Eagle Heights Community Garden.

Through much of the late summer zucchini, pumpkins and acorn squash are throwing off beautiful flowers with each new vegetable gourd. Light and delicate these blossoms can be stuffed and deep fried for a tasty snack or prepared as side dish for an entrée of other garden produce or grilled meat.

Fried stuffed squash blossoms are easy to prepare and you’ll be surprised how these yummy flowers can add a bit of charm to your cooking. This recipe comes from home cooking guide Peggy Trowbridge Filippone at About.com

Photos by James Edward Mills

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

* 18 zucchini, acorn squash or pumpkin blossoms, stamen removed

* Cheese Filling:

* 3 ounces goat (feta) cheese

* 3 ounces cream cheese

* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

* 1 clove garlic, minced

* Salt and pepper to taste

* .

* Beer Batter:

* 1/8 cup cornstarch

* 1/2 cup flour

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 egg, beaten

* 1/2 cup cold flat beer

* Vegetable oil for frying

* Salt and pepper to taste

* Grated Parmesan cheese and sliced chives for garnish

Preparation:

Gently swish the squash blossoms in cold water to clean. Carefully twirl to remove most of the water, then drain thoroughly on paper towels. Set aside.

Beat goat cheese, cream cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper until blended. Gently fill each blossom with about 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling. Refrigerate while making batter.

In a heavy skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 375 F over medium heat.

While oil is heating, whisk together cornstarch, flour, salt, pepper, celery salt, baking soda, baking powder, egg, and beer until combined.

Carefully dip a stuffed blossom into the batter, covering the entire flower, and ease into the hot oil. Brown on one side, then turn to brown the other. Cook only a few at a time so they are not crowded. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining stuffed squash blossoms.

Sprinkle stuffed squash blossoms with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and chopped chives.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Don’t let anyone tell you that cooking at home is hard. I discovered this recipe for muffins with the help of my friend Erin Luken. Not only is she one of the most talented amateur bakers I have ever met, but she and her husband Jason Beren are avid sailors. While visiting their home for an interview on sailing for an upcoming magazine feature, Erin pulled these delicious raspberry muffins fresh from the oven.

The recipe for “Campton Place Muffins” appears in Deserts By The Yard

by Sherry Yard executive pastry chef of Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills

photo by James Edward Mills

Washington Hotel & Culinary School

I had the pleasure seeing a cooking demonstration at the Washington Hotel & Culinary School on Washington Island. A short ferry ride from Gills Rock delivered me with a small contingent of travel writers to tour the grounds learn the finer points of making pie crust. The recipe I learned required much more butter than I could have imagined and I’ve never used lard in cooking before. But the end result is a deliciously flaky and flavorful pastry that perfectly complements a warm fruit filling.

Heidi Gilberston

Pie Crust
• 4 cups flour
• 16 oz. butter
• 5 oz. lard
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2/3-cup ice water
Yield = 3 double layer pie crusts

Blend flour, salt and butter slowly with your hands. Head baker Heidi Gilbertson suggests using just your fingers only up to the second knuckle. Avoid excessive handling. The butter should be as cold as possible. Mix until the consistency of loose crumbs. Add lard also very cold. Pour in ice water a few ounces at a time and continue to mix until a rough ball. Put in plastic bag and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb filling
Early in the summer strawberries and rhubarb start making their appearance in gardens and farmer’s markets. The two combine to make a sweet/tart confection that’s a rich sensation of taste. The following recipe is modified from one found at www.simplyrecipes.com.

• 3 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces
o (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
• 1 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger root

1) Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange rind and ginger. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2) Turn into a pastry lined pan. Top with the pastry, trim the edge, and crimp the top and bottom edges together. Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape.

3) Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F, and bake an additional 30-40 minutes longer (40 to 50 minutes longer if doing a 10-inch pie). Cool on a rack.

Serve warm or cold. If you do cool to room temperature, the juices will have more time to thicken.

The total preparation time is just over an hour. The time spent baking is a good excuse to take a run or go for a long dog walk.