Summer Solstice Tacos
Why I Love This Recipe
FEATURING: Onion (or green onion), garlic (or garlic scapes), tomatoes, rabioles, lettuce, arugula, leafy greens of your choice (kale, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.), and cilantro.
We love these in early summer! Even better if you make the tortillas yourself! I use a tortilla press to make it quicker!
Ingredients You'll Need
FOR THE BEANS:
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion (or 2 green onions, chopped)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cumin
1/4 -1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional) (or 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes)
1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 (14-ounce) can black beans (or other bean, such as white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
A bit of chopped cilantro, large stems removed and finely chopped
A few chopped leaves of arugula (optional)
TACO FILLING
1-2 green onions, chopped
Salt, to taste
4 cups of leafy greens (spinach, kale or swiss chard), chopped
1 cup of lettuce, chopped
1 cup of arugula (or more lettuce or more leafy greens), chopped
1 white turnip, cut in matchsticks (optional)
2-3 radishes, sliced
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro (optional)
12-16 tortillas (see below for homemade recipe but you can use store-bought to go faster)
TO MAKE TORTILLAS - recipe makes 16 tortillas
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or other fairly neutral flavored oil
1 cup warm water
Directions
FOR THE BEANS: Prepare the Beans: In a large wok or skillet, add the oil and melt it over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté for about 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, cumin, jalapeno (if using), and salt. Continue sautéing for another 3 to 5 minutes (increasing/reducing heat if necessary), until the tomato softens. Now stir drained and rinsed black beans. Cook for a few more minutes until heated throughout. Taste and add more salt if desired. Stir in the cilantro. You can leave the mixture over low heat until ready to serve or simply turn off the heat and reheat before serving.
MAKE THE TORTILLAS (see how below)
FOR THE ASSEMBLY: Fill tortillas with beans and desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.
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TO MAKE THE TORTILLAS
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium-size bowl. Using a sturdy silicone spatuala or a sturdy wooden spoon, mix dry ingredients until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil and water. Stir well from the bottom up, until all dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough begins to come together and form a shaggy ball.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 16 equal portions. Turn each piece to coat with flour. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes (or as much as 2 hours) before proceeding.
After the rest period, heat a large pan over medium heat. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keep work surface and rolling pin lightly floured (or use a tortilla press). Don’t stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other or they will stick together. (I like to separate my tortillas with parchement paper.)
When the pan is hot, place one dough circle into the pan and allow to cook 45 seconds to 1 minute or until the bottom surface has a few pale brown spots and the uncooked surface is bubbly. If browning too fast, reduce the heat a bit. If it’s taking longer than a minute to see a few pale golden brown spots on the underside of tortillas, increase the heat a bit. Flip to other side and cook for 15-20 seconds. The tortillas should be nice and soft but have a few small brown spots on the surface.
Remove from pan with tongs and stack in a covered container or zippered bag to keep the tortillas soft.
Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel in the bottom of a microwave-safe container (with a cover) that will hold the stacked tortillas. Microwave uncovered for 15-30 seconds (start with 15) or until warm, then keep covered to hold heat while serving.
Store in an airtight container or zippered bag at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zippered bag before placing in the freezer.
