Salsa Verde Cremosa ~ Creamy Green Salsa

In Mexico, tacos are usually eaten as a street food. It is not often that people make them in their homes as a dinner because there really is no point. Why? Well, in Mexico City, you can find a taco stand on practically every street corner. Just walk outside your door and, “Voila,” you’ve got a premium lunch, dinner, or late night snack.

In my opinion, one of the best parts of the taco experience is choosing what salsas you want to adorn your filling with. I am incredibly impressed by the extremely wide range of salsas that each taco stand has to offer. Sometimes, I feel like I frequent a certain stand simply because of the salsas they have. In Poza Rica, I got to try an unconventional peanut salsa on sopes, and one of the most notable salsas I ever tasted in Mexico City was this creamy chipotle salsa that this guy served with burritos, which are actually a very rare cuisine in central Mexico. But, in all of my experience at taco stands, one of the best things that I learned is that you don’t have to choose only one salsa. You can put as many or as few as you like. Hey, when you’re that girl who agonizes over decisions, the taco is the perfect solution. You can have it all. Every taco is a new palate that is ready to be accentuated with different colors and flavors. Every taco is a unique experience based on the fixings that you dress it up with. Yes, indeed the taco is my kind of food.

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Empanadas Dulces de Mermelada ~ Sweet Jam Turnovers

One of my favorite parts about recipes is that there is often a story behind them. I love hearing about recipes that have been passed down through the generations or shared by neighbors and friends. Those recipes are tried and true, the family favorites.

This recipe has a long story behind it, but it came to me from Señora Nena (short for Magdalena), the landlady that Roberto and I rented from in Mexico City. Anyone who knows me has probably heard a story about Sra. Nena because she was quite the character to say the least.

Originally from Guadalajara, she came to Mexico City in her early twenties after she got married. Despite not growing up in the sprawling capital, she knew how to navigate the city with confidence — chest puffed out, hair brushed sleekly to one side, and dare I say quite a spunky stride for a seventy-something woman. She would maneuver through tianguis and markets with assurance never letting a bargain slip through her fingers. She was also a devout Catholic, but holy heck did she swear like a sailor. I can safely say that I learned some of my first Spanish groserías (swear words) from this woman — one of her favorites was “pinche pendejo viejo.” Sra. Nena loved entertaining and usually cooked enough food to feed a small army. She planned out her parties days in advance, setting the table with dozens of plates, glasses, and silverware well before the fiesta.

Mermelada de Chabacano y Mango ~ Apricot Mango Jam

I know I say this all the time, but I love summer. It is a season of happy times, beautiful weather, and delicious food. I mean look at these gorgeous apricots!

The other day I was at Trader Joe’s, and they had cartons of these succulent, organic apricots. I kept looking at them, admiring them, drooling over them, envisioning a bright, fresh jam, but, then I thought, “I’m not going to buy them today.”

Of course, once I got home I couldn’t stop thinking about those fiery little orbs that were sitting in their plastic cartons gems in a treasure chest. I kept saying to myself, “They are going to be all gone by the time I go back, and I’m going to be so disappointed.”

Garden Happenings

Purple Coban Tomatillo

I haven’t blogged in so long, and the only excuse I have is that I have been enjoying the summer sunshine and really relishing the fact that I don’t have to sit in front of a computer. While I have been trying lots of new recipes, I have really focused on tending to our awesome garden. I wanted to give you a peak at some of the things we planted this year. We ordered the majority of our seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and purchased some more specific items from Totally Tomatoes, Native Seeds/SEARCH, Botanical Interests, and Burpee. My dad usually starts the peppers and tomatoes indoors in March and we transplant everything around the middle of May. For everything else, we usually direct sow around the same time.