Mis queridos tacos

Who loves tacos? I do! Growing up in southern California, tacos were a staple meal of my childhood. Whether we made them at home or enjoyed them at the casual dining spots in the neighborhood, I must have eaten tacos at least once or twice a week.

My Mom and I both had our own favorites. When we choose to go out to eat, my Mom loved to feast on tacos al carbón: soft and warm tortillas filled with small cubes of beef, finely chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Hold the onions please.

I usually ate grilled chicken tacos but there were days when I had to have carnitas, juicy pulled pork.

As a disgruntled teenager, I grew tired of the standard beef and pork tacos. I wanted something different, of course. So I began exploring fish tacos made from who knows what kind of fish. Then beautiful tacos made of pink and white chopped shrimp seemed to appear at every taqueria in Los Angeles. Sure, I had known since I was eight years old that my blood cholesterol levels were often too high and that I should avoid eating shellfish because of its naturally high cholesterol content. But the shrimp tacos with diced avocado, onions and cilantro were so beautiful and delicious, I had to eat them!

The side dishes that came with tacos were also a treat! Regardless of the restaurant, most tacos were usually accompanied by refried black or pinto beans topped with a dry white cheese called queso seco and orange rice, usually colored by the annatto seed we called achiote.

Somehow when went out for tacos we excused ourselves from the "A Meal is Not a Meal Without a Salad" rule. Perhaps we would simply eat too much, drink too much soda, or maybe we needed the roughage of our usual romaine lettuce salads to move everything through. I just remember always having gas after our taco outings.

These days, because I am very intrigued by the world of plant foods, I have been adding more vegetables to everything, including tacos. I suppose I could serve a salad with tacos but with so many great vegetables in season now, they can go right into the soft fold of the tortilla.

This spring, I stumbled into Tortilleria San Roman located in South Philadelphia's Italian Market neighborhood and found really great-tasting white corn tortillas. I was inspired to try to out a new version of tacos packed with kale from the raised bed gardens of Earth's Keepers in West Philadelphia, spicy radishes from my own urban garden plot, and yellow summer squash and cilantro from the market at Clark Park. The red and pinto beans are also somewhat local, coming from Cayuga Cooperative in New York. What a gift! Tacos made from all local ingredients!

Buen Provecho!

Tacos al Verano
Serves 2 adults

6 white corn tortillas
2 large leaves of curly kale, finely chopped
12 cilantro leaves
1 small yellow squash, cut like spaghetti
1 cup of cooked kidney and pinto beans
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Chipotle salsa to your taste