Recipe: Squash Blossom Soup (Dinengdeng)

Recipe for squash flower soup (dinengdeng) for Vanessa (:

-a bunch of squash flowers (sepals and stamens taken out)
-a bundle of string beans (cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
-shrimp (6 pieces or so, pull the heads off, set aside, peel and devein the shrimp)
(other ingredients can be added also- mushroom, bittermelon, squash, horseradish tree leaves, eggplant)
-1 medium sized tomato
-1/5th of a yellow onion
-1 ladle of fish sauce (patis) & 3 tsp fish/shrimp paste (bagoong)

Medium-high heat setting; sautee the onion in oil.
When it's translucent, add the tomato (I personally like to crush it, to get all the juices out).
Stir a bit, then add the fish sauce. Stir a bit again, then add 2 medium bowls of water.
Let the water boil, add shrimp heads for flavoring.
When the shrimp heads are cooked, try the soup to check the taste.
Add water or more tomatoes as needed. (It's important that the fish sauce + water boils.)
Put string beans in first. Add the squash flowers and shrimp after a minute.
You basically want these ingredients just cooked.
Turn the stove off and remove the fish heads from the soup.
Serve over rice (:

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