Carrot Top

My garden is a mystery to me at times and I'm just learning more and more about the soil. I didn't turn over the soil very well where I planted the carrots and underneath is hard packed clay. It turns out that the carrots cannot grow down into the tough layer. Instead, they twist every which way in a desperate attempt to keep growing.

Only the top part of the carrots show any semblance of straightness. The rest look like modern sculpture or a puzzle.

I won't be putting these back together anytime soon!

Lime Zucchini Cake

Chocolate zucchini cake tastes overwhelmingly of chocolate, which I love. But I thought I would challenge myself to make a cake in which zucchini was more apparent. I'm not sure if I'll make a second attempt as this one was very very heavy. It may work better with regular wheat flour instead of gluten free.
 

 It was more like a heavily frosted pancake. No recipe as it wasn't something I want to repeat!

Zucchini and Pumpkin Blossoms

Zucchini and pumpkin blossoms are delicious lightly battered, fried until golden, sprinkled with sea salt and served with lime. The stems  are very handy for battering them and putting in the pan so keep them until the end.

Chick pea flour is essential as it gives it a lighter crispier batter that just clings to the flower.

Batter

Half corn flour and half chick pea flour by volume (ie. 1/2 cup each) Increase if you are cooking many flowers.
Salt to taste
Enough water to make a runny batter.

Dip blossoms in batter and rotate to coat all sides. Add to hot oil in pan.

Turn the blossoms once they are golden on one side. Remove from the oil when they are golden and drain on a paper towel. Salt them immediately and squeeze a dash of lemon or lime over them.

Note: It's important to snip off the stems. otherwise your blossoms look like battered rodents and your pictures are blurry because you and your family cannot stop laughing! Enjoy.