The Farmers' Market, Taco Night, and a New Camera

This Saturday was the first farmers' market of the year...in Boulder. In Denver, none of the markets start until May. So, I drove up to Boulder on Saturday morning. I sort-of justified it to myself by meeting my dad for brunch at Foolish Craig's, but really, this was about getting amazing food and whatever food miles I may have saved by buying local I more than compensated for by driving 30 miles to purchase.



What can I say? I *love* garlic greens.


...and fresh spinach...


...and especially fresh tortilla chips. This weekend I wanted to make tacos, and I wanted to make fresh salsa for them.


I may have gone just a wee bit overboard and made a total of four(!) salsas. But the tacos were delicious. Tacos are a brilliant food: you can eat them with your fingers, and once you understand the basic composition, they can be varied infinitely.

Start with good tortillas. The only ingredients should be corn, water, and lime. Preferably, head over to the west side (or the Boulder farmers' market) and pick up fresh tortillas...they really are worth it.

Next, you need a protein. I made carne asada.


Carne Asada

1 skirt steak (mine was small, about 3/4 lb, and fed two generously)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cumin

Pre-heat your grill or heat 1 teaspoon of grapeseed or canola oil over high heat. Crush and peel the garlic, then rub the clove over the meat. Rub the spices into the meat. Cook 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. (If you like your meat well-done, then braise your meat. Skirt steak will be extremely tough if you cook it all the way through.) Let rest for a few minutes, then slice as thinly as you can.

I also made black beans.



Mexican Black Beans

1/2 lb black beans, soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste

Cover the black beans in hot water to soak overnight, then pour off the liquid, rinse the beans, and cook in fresh water to avoid gas.

Heat the oil to medium-low and saute the pepper and onion until the onion is translucent and the odor shifts from sharp to sweet. Add the garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes.

Add the beans and enough water to cover by about one inch. Add the spices and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, covered, stirring every 1/2 hour or so and adding water as needed.



Once you have your protein, you need salsa, but I'm saving those salsas for another post. In addition to salsa, you need crunch. I found some beautiful red cabbage at the market.



I added salt and lime juice and let it sit for about an hour before eating. This produced a mild version of pickling that eliminated any toughness and balanced nicely with the slight bitterness of the cabbage.

Finally, I added a little cotija cheese. The tacos were delicious! (And since I resisted my usual impulse to overload them, I was able to actually eat them with my fingers.)


Oh yeah, and as you can see, I also finally got my new camera! So from now on, pictures will be a regular feature around here.