Seventh Heaven

Bliss.  Pure bliss.  Kellan brought the promised squash blossoms, as well as just-picked fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes (and three kinds of squash, but those will be for another day).  I darned near started salivating when I saw the blossoms and at three-thirty decided that, yes, it was time for dinner (one of the advantages of living alone).  Rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt, the potatoes and tomatoes went into a 350-degree oven on a baking sheet for thirty-five minutes while I prepared the blossoms.  The beer batter I use calls for one-third cup of flour, half-teaspoon of salt, half-teaspoon of corn starch, dash of cayenne (optional), one-third cup of beer, and one egg.  Beat the egg white separately to soft peaks.  Mix the dry ingredients with the beer and egg yolk.  Gently fold in the beaten white.  This recipe can be tripled, not increasing salt or corn starch.  It is good for vegetables and shrimp.  Dipped in the batter, the blossoms were sauteed until golden on all sides in olive oil and butter, and were ready by the time the potatoes came out of the oven.  Topping the bite-size potatoes like crostini with tart-sweet tomatoes made a mouthful of summer.  The squash blossoms were every bit as delicious as I'd anticipated, delicate yet rich.  I was in gustatory heaven.

It was a good day.