Pauline's Lucky Market Garden

HIBISCUS FLOWER CAKE                     It's Hibiscus flower harvest time at our farm, and we are having some more fun with them in our farm kitchen. This time we used them as a cranberry substitute and baked them into this lovely, moist cake. Try it yourself using our recipe. We sell our hibiscus flowers at our farmers market stand at the Artisan Alley Farmers' Market in Deland FL.   It will take a bit over an  hour. Also called "roselle" and  "Florida cranberry" the part we use and call "hibiscus flower" is not truly the flower but actually the seed pod surrounded by tart tasting sepals. These are removed and can be used dried or fresh. We used them fresh in our cake. This delicious cake makes 10 servings INGREDIENTS 4 cups hibiscus flower sepals (start with about 68 whole fresh flowers ~3/4 lb) 1  1/2 cups sugar 2 cups water zest from 1 orange 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground nutme...

I remember as a child my mom made this dish as a light dinner and served it with salad. I am sure she made it at the height of zucchini season when it was summery and we would eat dinner at our picnic table in the yard. She stopped making it when we moved to a home with a yard too small to grow squash. I asked about it as an adult and she never told  me where the recipe came from which surprised me because I think the dish was always emptied when she made it. I finally rediscovered it in my mom's copy of The Jewish American Cookbook. They call it Zucchini with Cheese. In my version I used a blend of cheeses where their recipe called for American Cheese. I know my mom would not have used American Cheese but whatever good quality Cheese  she had on hand. I urge you to try this version.  Cheesy Zucchini Casserole.............. 4 servings 3 small Zucchini 2/3 cup grated cheese (harvarti or sharp cheddar mix) 1/4 cup milk 1 egg well beaten 3 tablespoons butter Prehea...