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Chesapeake No-Fish Tacos
Esther M. (original recipe)
Apparently I've been to Maryland a lot and it may surprise you that I've spent a lot of time in urban, suburban, and natural areas! In reverse order---
I wrote a line in a song about a natural area in Maryland: "Beaches what with ponies running wild." We checked out a whole bunch of travel guides from the library and one said, a beach with wild ponies, and we were like, let's go there on our way to Texas and so we did! So we drove to Assateague National Shoreline, and we didn't see a wild pony on the beach but there was one hanging out in the parking lot and we didn't having bathing suits but we went into the water anyway and I remember later having sand in our clothes and feeling as alive as I ever have.
Suburbs: We had friends in College Park and I have to say, it was a lovely suburb, with great bike trails and cute little health-food eateries nestled into the neighborhoods. Their house had a nice little yard.
City: I feel like I've already written about Baltimore but maybe not. Apparently I visited as a kid and attended a baseball game, though I don't really remember. I do remember going back as an adult. Again, this was the days before GPS so we took a wrong turn and ended up in the projects years before watching The Wire which is a pretty great show. We quickly found our way to the nearby Inner Harbor which is touristy but fun. The aquarium is a stand out.
Speaking of aquariums, if it isn't bunny mince these days it seems like we're substituting for fish. Fortunately or unfortunately, Esther stipulates that we cannot use canned or preserved food. For this reason, I've gone deep on this one, and we're pulling out an unexpected veggie all-star that I don't think has turned up in Challenge thus far: cauliflower! OK, so it doesn't taste like fish, but roast it and it is super yummy. It should make for an excellent taco. The other problem with cauliflower is that it lacks protein, but apparently it's a myth that you need protein at every meal so just make sure you compensate with a hearty protein-packed dinner later in the day. Most Americans are way more deficient in vegetables than protein anyway.
Esther, demanding Esther, wants us to eat local too, which in the middle of winter will be something of a challenge, especially combined with her first stipulation. On the other hand, I'm not sure mangos or limes grow in Maryland, so I will take a cue from the ingredients list and simply try my best. If you made this at exactly the right time of year in much of the country, you could substitute local pawpaw for mangos. I've been obsessed with pawpaws for 20 years since first learning about them but didn't get to try one until a couple of weeks ago. It did not disappoint!
I'd stick with mango, though, because dunno if pawpaw salsa makes enough sense and mangos are a lot more readily available. Even a half a mango is going to make more salsa than necessary for the 1-2 portions I typically scale to, so figure out another use for your leftovers. The unusual inclusion of cucumber might limit your options somewhat (cucumber on nachos?!). Initially I thought, let's do it anyway, this is Esther's vision, but then I started thinking about cucumber on top of cauliflower and it felt pretty unnecessary.
Wow, I just read the directions and realized she's making not one but two salsas!
I think I'll simplify a little and make one since we are omitting cucumber anyway and won't it all intermingle when eating the taco? Still, a bold choice that deserves recognition.
I've never attempted anything like the lemon-basil sorbet so that will be interesting.
Lemon-Basil Sorbet
Salsa
- 1/2 sm. Jalapeno, chopped
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 + 1/2 cu. Cauliflower, cut into small florets
To Serve
Preparation
Prepare ahead: Combine all sorbet ingredients except raspberries and chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with raspberries.
For the salsa, combine all ingredients and chill while you roast the cauliflower.
Put cauliflower in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix to lightly coat, then transfer to a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the top of the florets brown. Remove from oven, return to bowl, and toss with remaining ingredients, breaking into smaller pieces if you wish. Assemble tacos by placing roasted cauliflower, shredded cabbage, and salsa in warmed tortillas.
Discussion
**WARNING** I have not yet made this recipe and so I can't vouch for the results.
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