Recipe of the Month - October
Party fare extra-ordinaire! Make them big, make them little and dainty, serve them with wine or iced Sherry or with chilled lager! The combination of sweet, spicy, meaty, tangy and nutty is delicious, with its layer of cheese, mild green chile, all sandwiched between to slightly sweet and earthy pumpkin tortillas.
Pumpkin tortillas are the brainchild of Rancho Santa Fe products. I discovered them at the Davis Farmers Market one Saturday, and have been watching with delight as they appear on more and more supermarket and natural foods shops throughout the Bay Area. They freeze excellently, so when you find them buy a stack and stash them in your freezer. If you can't find pumpkin tortillas, use regular flour tortillas and add a layer of thinly sliced, sauteed, peeled pumpkin.
Picadillo is a spicy-sweet mixture of meat, nuts, olives, and tomatoes; if you don't eat meat, make it with vegetable-proteiny-soy-ground "meat" instead. Picadillo freezes as well as do the tortillas; I always figure as long as you're making a batch, why not make it a double? and stash the extra away into the deep-freeze. With the picadillo already made, you're never more than 10 minutes away from an intriguing cocktail party or afternoon treat.
Picadillo and Jack Quesadillas on Pumpkin Tortillas
Serves 4- 2 large mild green chiles such as Anaheim or poblano, or 2 green peppers
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- Pinch of cloves or allspice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry Sherry, or dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- A few shakes of red wine or Sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
- 2-3 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnishing
- 8 pumpkin tortillas
- 6 to 8 ounces mild cheese such as Jack, manchego, mezzo secco
- Optional: Several slices peeled, lightly sauteed pumpkin/winter squash for each quesadilla
- Salt and pepper to taste (and a few shakes of cayenne, or Tabasco if using peppers instead of chiles)
- Olive oil for brushing
- About 2 tablespoons sour cream, for garnishing
Roast the chile or peppers over an open flame until it is charred lightly and evenly all over the peppers. Place in a plastic bag or bowl, and seal or cover. Set aside for at least 30 minutes as the steam helps separate the skins from the flesh of the chiles or peppers.
Prepare the picadillo: Lightly saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened, then add the beef and cook together, stirring and breaking up the meat as you cook. When the meat is browned in spots, sprinkle with the spices: cinnamon, cumin, cloves or allspice and continue cooking and stirring.
Add the raisins, tomato paste, Sherry, sugar and vinegar. Cook together for about 15 minutes, stirring every so often; if it seems dry, add a little water or more Sherry. Taste for seasoning, and adjust the sugar and vinegar to taste. Add almonds and cilantro and set aside.
Remove the skin, stem and seeds from the peppers, then cut the peeled peppers into strips.
Lay out 4 of the tortillas and spread with the picadillo. Add the roasted pepper strips, then a layer of the cheese and top each with a second tortilla. Press down firmly to hold it together.
Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the outsides of the quesadillas lightly with olive oil and add them to the pan, working in batches. Lower the heat to medium-low, brown on one side, then carefully turn over using the spatula with guidance from your hand if needed. Cook on until both sides are golden in spots and the cheese is melted.
Serve immediately, cut into wedges, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.
© Marlena Spieler 2003