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Last week it finally felt like fall in L.A. There was a slight breeze that wisped through the below-80 degree weather, and we even got to rock a hoodie while on our evening walk. (Who said L.A. doesn't have seasons?) The farmers markets are starting to reflect autumn too, with veggies like butternut squash and mission figs coming in.
Over at Petty Cash Taqueria, they're celebrating the season by offering some meatless tacos made with butternut squash and pinto beans. Toasty and smoky cumin adorn the dish, which is topped with some house made salsa that you can save for snacking the next day.
Here's how it's made. And for a full review of Petty Cash Taqueria, click here.
Salsa
8 ounces tomatillos
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 ripe avocado, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Tacos
4 cups diced peeled butternut squash
3-4 small morita chiles
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed and left whole
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds plus 1/2 teaspoon ground toasted cumin seeds
2 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
freshly ground pepper to taste
8 six inch corn tortillas
To garnish
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup finely shredded red onion or cabbage
8 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
Method:
To prepare salsa, bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove husks from tomatillo chiles and rinse well. Cook the tomatillos in boiling water for 5-8 minutes, until soft. Drain and set aside. Toast garlic cloves, jalapeno, and onion in a dry medium sized skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until browned, about 5-7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic. Remove the jalapeno stem, and remove the seeds if desired. Combine tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, onion, and avocado in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stir in cilantro, salt, and pepper. Set aside for topping the tacos.
For the tacos, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put squash in a medium sized bowl and using kitchen shears finely snip chiles into small pieces, including seeds, into the bowl. Add garlic, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and whole cumin seeds, and toss to coat. Arrange those items on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until soft, about 20-25 minutes. Peel and finely chop the garlic when cool, and then stir into the squash.
Meanwhile, combine beans in a small saucepan with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground cumin, chile powder, and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
To serve, warm the tortillas one at a time in a cast iron skillet. Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep them warm. Spoon 1/3 cup of the warm beans over each tortilla, then divide up the roasted squash amongst the tacos and top each with cilantro, cabbage, salsa, and cotija cheese. (You can refrigerate the remaining salsa for up to two days.)
