Squash Blossom Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 30 summer squash blossoms
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 12 white corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Oaxaca cheese or Monterey jack cheese, sliced
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Look inside the squash blossoms for any little visitors, especially if they came from the garden. If you see anything, or if the blossoms look dusty, give them a rinse; if not, you can leave them dry.
2. Trim off the stems, then coarsely chop the blossoms, including the stamens.
3. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Stir in the chopped onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
4. Add the chopped squash blossoms to the pan and turn them through the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes more, just until the blossoms soften and wilt, then take the pan off the heat.
5. Set a large cast iron pan, or another large skillet that does not cling too much, over medium heat. Smear in a little butter, using only enough to add flavor to the tortillas. Lay a corn tortilla in the pan and warm it on both sides for about 1/2 minute, until it starts to puff in spots.
6. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of cheese over 1 side of the tortilla, then spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of the squash blossom mixture on top.
7. With a spatula, fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling, then press gently. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the tortilla has picked up a light golden color.
8. As that quesadilla cooks, you can warm another tortilla in the same pan if there is room.
9. Once the cheese has melted, transfer the quesadilla out of the pan and make the rest the same way. For serving, slice the quesadillas into triangles and offer them with salsa, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, black beans, Mexican queso crema, or sour cream thinned with a little liquid.