Daylily (Hemerocallis) Quesadillas

Daylily Quesadillas  (Hemerocallis)

This adaptation of a traditional Mexican recipe would have originally been made with pumpkin instead of daylilies, but I tried it this way this morning and loved it. Daylillies taste nothing like pumpkin, but are rather more delicate tasting. In this recipe, they add slightly elegant taste to this traditional dish.

Pick the daylily buds early in the morning on the day before they are set to bloom.  Rush them in the kitchen immediately so you can enjoy a breakfast as fresh as it gets.

The following recipe is for one quesadilla. One or two might satisfy most people.

One maize tortilla, 20 cm in diameter.
Handful of daylily flower buds
A few slices of brown onion thin sliced
1 clove garlic
Small handful of chopped onion
Small chopped tomato
Handful of grated mild cheese
Oil or butter for sautéing

1. Sauté the onions and garlic in the butter. Add the flowers and sauté until they turn limp. Remove from the flying pan. Add more oil or butter to the pan.
2. Place the tortilla in the pan. 
3. Place the cheese onto the tortilla, then add the flower/onion mixture and the tomatoes. Fold the tortilla in half so that the other items are inside.
4. Cook until brown on the underside, then flip and cook on the other side. 

Image: Edward Fielding/Shutterstock

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