Winter Tacos from Patchwork Green Farm

This recipe is endlessly modified at our house, depending on the season and what is in our refrigerator or garden 15 minutes before dinner. The basic idea is to cram an entire dinner into a tortilla shell, from the complete protein pairing of beans and rice to the inclusion of some super-nutritious veggies mixed with the classic Latin American flavors of cilantro, lime and cumin. If you can do all the prep in under half an hour, and if you can fine tune it so that your kids love it and if you make enough for tomorrow’s leftovers (try the bean mixture over corn chips, topped with cheese and salsa and baked for 10 minutes) then you have created a great new healthy dinner option for a hectic weeknight!

Winter Tacos from Patchwork Green Farm
2 T. cumin seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
½ pepper (sweet or green, fresh, frozen or roasted)
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed if from a can
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1-2 leaves kale, chopped
2 cups cubed, steamed or roasted sweet potato or winter squash

Season with lime juice, salt, pepper, hot sauce of your choice, dry oregano, basil and parsley
Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, lettuce and scallions, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese
Fried corn tortillas or toasted flour tortillas
1-2 cups cooked brown or white rice

Start the rice cooking, and survey the available vegetables in your refrigerator. In a medium (12” works well) cast iron skillet, toast the whole cumin seeds until they just start to smoke (2-3 minutes on medium). Dump them into a mortar and grind them to a coarse powder. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add chopped peppers, beans, corn, kale and any other veggies you have on hand. We also add leftover cubed beef and chicken when available. Add seasonings and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and heat or fry the tortillas. Serve the tacos family-style, with a bowl of rice, cheese and tortilla shells and your choice of toppings passed at the table, and watch them disappear!