Crispy tortillas filled with melted cheese, delicate squash blossoms, fresh basil, and a variety of cherry and grape tomatoes. This quesadilla is delicious and full of fresh ingredients straight from the Farmer’s Market.
One of my favorite weekend activities is the Farmer’s Market. I’m willing to wake up early on Saturday or Sunday morning just to browse fresh produce and discover new vendors. This last weekend, my cousin and I went to downtown Sunnyvale for the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market. We have never been to this one before, so it was a pleasant surprise to find so many vendors I haven’t encountered before. One block was lined with fruits and vegetables, the other block sold different prepared foods. It’s definitely a food blogger’s paradise!
Many varieties of tomatoes. Aren’t these heirloom tomatoes gorgeous?
Fresh berries. Plus tons of fruit samplings.
My cousin wanted to try the fresh oysters sold by a vendor from a farm in Santa Cruz.
As for me? I was excited to try Sugar Mama Desserts’ ice cream. I was disappointed that they didn’t have their famous Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream. Each pint of ice cream contained half a pound of fresh strawberries. Instead I ordered the coconut macadamia nut ice cream and the dark chocolate with raspberry swirls. So good! There were so many macadamia nuts in the ice cream. My favorite. If you’re ever in the area, I recommend stopping by the Sugar Mama Desserts booth.
While I was at the Farmer’s Market, I bought tons of grape and cherry tomatoes. But I discovered something there that I’ve only read in food blogs before. Squash blossoms. I saw them at a vendor, and I just had to get them. This is the first time I’ve ever used them, or seen them for that matter.
Squash blossoms are very delicate. They’re best if eaten the same day, but if you need to keep them, place them in the refrigerator wrapped in a paper towel. My blossoms started to wilt later that day. They’re very tender and slightly sweet.
In general, zucchinis and summer squashes have tons of health benefits. They have antioxidants, dietary fiber, antimicrobial and anti cancer benefits, and regulate blood sugar levels. So try to add zucchinis and squashes to your meals.
In today’s post, I wanted to add my new found seasonal ingredient: squash blossoms.
I thought I could incorporate them into quesadillas. Just a few fresh ingredients, a little bit of heating, and you have a warm dish full of flavor.
These quesadillas are crispy on the outside with melted cheese, refreshing basil, slightly sweet blossoms, and juicy cherries in every bite. So much natural flavor there’s no need to season them. I could eat a few of these and not feel guilty.
I’ll definitely bring these to Fiesta Friday . =)
First, prepare all the ingredients. Tear up the squash blossoms into strips, slice the tomatoes into thirds, and tear up the fresh basils.
In a small skillet, use nonstick cooking spray to coat the bottom. Place a tortilla on the bottom of the skillet and warm over low heat. If you’re on a gluten free diet, you can use gluten free tortillas.
Sprinkle cheese onto the tortilla with a generous amount on the outer edges. This helps seal the edges of the tortilla when the cheese melts.
Add the sliced tomatoes, strips of squash blossoms, and torn basil.
Add more cheese on top. Then cover with a second tortilla.
Once the bottom tortilla has turned a golden brown, slip a spatula underneath and flip the quesadilla over. Allow the tortilla to heat until it becomes warm and turns a golden brown.
Plate the quesadilla and cut them in half. I find cutting with a pair of scissors is much easier than with a knife.
Make as many servings as you need.
Serve the quesadilla warm. Enjoy!
Want instant updates? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Bloglovin.
For a PDF version of this recipe, click here.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7]
I’m so hungry for these right now! Delicious and beautiful, what a combination!
Thank you so much, Sue! If you get the chance to try them, I hope you’ll like it =)
Yummy..
Thanks!
This sounds fantastic! Since moving back to Wyoming for a bit, I’ve really been missing the farmer’s markets I had access to in other states.
Are there less Farmer’s Market in Wyoming?
Unfortunately yes 🙁
Is the market still in the Macy’s shopping Center? I used to live about a mile from there, and loved that market.
It’s in the back of the Macy’s Shopping Center. It was the first time I’ve ever been to that one. And I wanted to go because I heard of how great Sugar Mama’s Desserts ice cream were. I wish the market is closer to where I live!
That’s the one thing I miss about living in Sunnyvale. We moved to Arizona in 1998, and I understand that it has gotten even more crowded since then. Haven’t been back since, but do miss that market. The produce was to die for even back then.
I think Farmer’s Market always have the best produce. It’s just pricier than supermarkets. =)
Hey, I have all the the veggies needed growing in my garden. Yup, the basil, the 3 different colored tomatoes, and the squash blossoms. Cheese and tortillas are staples in my fridge. So, guess what I’m making for lunch today? 🙂 YUM!
You’re so lucky, Angie! I wish I had your garden in my backyard. But living in San Francisco, we don’t have much of a garden in the back. I hope you’ll like these quesadillas!
Glad to see you’re up and running again, with lovely photos and delicious recipes 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that my blog is up and running too! It was a stressful two days when it wasn’t!
I agree, Farmers Market’s are the best. We have a tiny one here in Berne on Saturdays and I just love it. You write about it so warmly! And the Quesadilla looks yummi too!
Thank you so much, Martina! I love going to the Farmer’s Market because they have things most other markets don’t have. At least, in my area. Like the squash blossoms and heirloom tomatoes.
Yum yums! Looks so good:). The ice cream looked very tempting too:)
Thank you! The ice cream was soo good. I wish it was closer to where I live so I can go every weekend.
That looked absolutely delicious. I can almost taste it. You are lucky to have such a fantastic farmer’s market fairly nearby, well worth the early start 😀
Thanks, Leslie! We have a lot of Farmer’s Market in the area, that is, at least in driving or busing distance. And I can’t resist buying fresh produce. But they can get pretty expensive.
They’re expensive here as well but we view it as a day out and a special foodie treat so we don’t mind too much. Couldn’t do it every day though 😀
Awesome can’t wait to try . Green tea cookies were the best
I’m so glad that you liked the green tea cookies! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know. I hope you’ll like these quesadillas!