Yucca Blossoms Salad With Goat Cheese Dressing

YUCCA BLOSSOM SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE DRESSING

This comes from another cookbook that started out as one thing, and then was reprinted into a much expanded different book.  It was originally printed in Native American Cooking and reprinted in Foods Of The Southwest Indian Nations, by authored by renowned food photographer Lois Ellen Frank (Kiowa), who now has a Ph.D. in culinary anthropology from the University of New Mexico.  She is an amazing photographer!!  Her website can be here.  I have made this with gathered blossoms and I can attest to have truly delicious it is!!  I have exclusively used store bought "wild" mushrooms, as I don't have the expertise to gather my own (I wouldn't dare!!) and I don't know anyone personally who does.  I would love to try this with Huitlachoche, but it's harder to find her in the US than the blossoms are!  Also, her suggestion of using nasturtiums sound great...they are easy to grow.

Yucca Blossom Salad:

1 tbsp. olive oil (my note:  I like the light stuff for this)

18 wild edible or domestic mushrooms, or huitlachoche kernels,

  well washed

30 Yucca or other edible blossoms (Nasturtiums work well)

[Water For Boiling]

[Ice Water]

6 cups Maché (aka Corn Salad) or Boston Lettuce, stemmed

Goat Cheese Dressing:

2 oz. (that's about 1/4 cup) soft plain goat cheese

1/4 cup olive oil (ditto)

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tbsp. herb vinegar (my note:  around here Tarragon is

    easiest to find, but thyme works best)

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1.  In a saute pan, heat oil, add mushroom and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2.  Bring water to boil.  Blanch the yucca blossoms for no more than 30 seconds.  Remove and plunge these into ice water.  Drain well and remove stamens from inside the blossom (My Note:  these are great for compost).  Set these aside.  If using other blossoms, such as the nasturtium flowers, skip the blanching!

3.  For the dressing:  blend all of the ingredients together EXCEPT the vinegar, when this is well mixed, beat in the vinegar until it has been completely incorporated.  

4.  Toss the greens, mushrooms and blossoms together with the dressing.  Top with the fresh thyme and serve on plates (note:  a reserved fresh blossom looks good as garnish, and I sometimes add some add bits of extra cheese!).

Lois Ellen Frank