Meatless in Mexico

This week marks a milestone on the road to recovery. We are allowed to gather in small groups. We didn’t want to go crazy, but our friend Josh has been wanting an invite for some time, but with the proviso of no eggplant. We have been meaning to have a Mexican night, so this is the perfect opportunity.

After we got some prep done and had a tour of how the garden was progressing (very well indeed), we gathered under the pergola to open the sparkling wine and snack on Guacamole and quesadillas with brie and candied walnuts, to welcome our guest.

Combined with chips and salsa, these did not last long. We recently found Rivas avocados at our local produce store and I have to say these are the silkiest I have had, since we were in Mexico. The quesadillas have been a favorite of ours for years, creamy and delicious, with a sweet crunch from the candied walnuts.

Now that we have had a chance to unwind, we moved to the outdoor table to enjoy an Avocado Soup. I had never thought of using avos for soup before, but it came out silky and luxurious. Unfortunately none of us captured a picture of this course, and we had new Mexican bowls and everything.

Now for the main event… We shared Chiles Rellenos, Zucchini stuffed with corn, refried beans, mexican rice and potato and bulgar fritters.

The chiles we have made before and they are always a hit. The poblano peppers are roasted and peeled, then coated in an almost meringue-like coating and deep fried, until they puff up. They are served atop a spicy tomato sauce. The big surprise for me was the stuffed zucchini. There is a lot of corn in Mexican cooking, but in this case the corn was blended so it has a smooth texture. Add a little cheese and the flavours and textures are very nice together. The fritters turned out to be a test of wills though. With the course texture of the bulgar, they did not want to hold together. After a bit of frustration, Shawn persevered and these little beauties were a hit.

As dusk approached we raised a glass to summer, to introducing friends of ours to each other and to dreams of good things to come. And who knows… we might just convert Josh to enjoying eggplant at some point in the future.

As a postscript, we were recently asked about menu planning. I just wanted to add a pic of this week’s page in Shawn’s book, to show what some week’s menu planning looks like.

We start with a plan, changes happen, some items get discarded, others get added, but the final menu eventually shines through… Kinda like life.