I don’t know what it is about summer that makes me fantasize so about flavors of Tex Mex. Oh, wait. Yes I do. It’s the call of the margarita on a hot day, the abundance of jalapenos and fresh tomatoes in everyone’s gardens, the colors of summer all piled up on a plate.

Recently, my heart has been set on some ooey gooey green sauce. This is the time of year for green sauce, what with all the unripe tomatoes hanging on vines around town. Except, I have to confess, I didn’t get a garden planted this year. I made Mr. Meat and Potatoes build me those lovely raised beds last year, and this year I totally blew them off. I’ve been kinda busy with other things this summer. So the moral of this story: I don’t have any green tomatoes.

I tried to beg borrow and steal them from everyone I knew with even one plant in the ground, and all of my sources, every last one, replied with a firm “NO FREAKING WAY.”

In a last act of total desperation, I checked the farmer’s market, doubting all the way that any growers would bring a green tomato to their tables. But joy of joys, I found some. In fact, I found FIVE. FIVE BIG BEAUTIES, in all their green glory.

I collected the rest of the necessaries, and set to work creating a meal that would adequately highlight the sauce of sauces. I made fajitas, cilantro-lime rice, and spiced-up refried beans. A meal of such color and radiance, it brought a tear to my eye as I served it.

I started with the sauce, because it was my piece de resistance, and I could not wait. I collected my green tomatoes, tomatillos, avocados, peppers, limes, and cilantro, and got to work.

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Green tomato-tomatillo sauce

5 green tomatoes (4 if they are large)
4 tomatillos
4 avocados
3 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos
1 serrano pepper
cilantro
1 lime
1 C sour cream
1 T cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 T sriracha (Or more. We like more.)
salt
pepper

Step 1) I began by seeding the tomatoes and cutting them into large hunks. Same for the tomatillos, 2 jalapenos, and one serrano pepper. I peeled three cloves of garlic and threw all of it into a stock pot with about a half cup of water. The water is only to prevent any sticking in the early part of the cooking, because the tomatoes will provide enough cooking liquid to do the job. Bring that to a boil cook for about 5 minutes, until everything is soft.

Step 2) In the meantime, into the food processor goes the insides of four avocados, and one white onion, in large chunks (no need to bother with cutting it small; the food processor will do that for you). Puree until smooth.

Step 3) Transfer the avocado mixture to another bowl, and add the cooked tomato mix to the food processor with the juice of one lime, a handful of fresh cilantro and a liberal pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Puree until smooth.

Step 4) Add the tomato mixture to the avocado mixture and stir together with a cup of sour cream. Then add your seasonings (cumin, red pepper, sriracha, more salt and pepper if necessary) to taste. Garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro.

This mades a ridiculous amount of sauce, so make it for a party or share it with your friends. I can’t help myself. If you’re going, go big. It is good with huevos rancheros for breakfast, as a dip for chips, as a garnish for all manner of Mexican entrees, but my favorite application, I have to admit, is to simply spoon some onto a salad or over an ear of sweet summer corn.

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But I guessed we couldn’t have just sweet corn and sauce for dinner (although if Mr. Meat and Potatoes were not at home, I’d have had just that).

So I made some fajitas with some skirt steak I’d purchased on sale some time back and taken out of the freezer earlier in the week. This is also a perfect summer meal if you have a garden, which I don’t. Because you likely will have some bell peppers and onions in that garden, along with your green tomatoes.

We didn’t feel like lighting the grill for this meal, since someone had to be available to watch the baby, so I cooked the steak in the kitchen. Know this: it’s better to grill if you have the time and means.

Easy Fajitas, Kitchen-style

1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
1 jalapeno
1.5 lb skirt steak
1/2 C green onions
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice
2 T olive oil
1 T cumin
1 tsp red pepper
salt
pepper

Step 1) Combine the olive oil, cilantro, lime juice and zest, and spices in the food processor and give a few pulses to fuse.

Step 2) Coat the steaks with the marinade on both sides and put them in a plastic bag and marinate for as much time as you have. Two hours would be great, but I had more like forty-five minutes, and our steaks were flavorful and delicious.

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Step 3) Julienne your vegetables and put them aside until you are almost ready to eat.

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Step 4) Start your side dishes at this point. You want to cook your peppers and steak at the very last minute so they’re hot on the table.

Step 5) When you’re ready, put two tablespoons of butter or olive oil in your cast iron skillet, and heat it to medium-high. Add your veggies, but don’t stir too often. You want the bottom layer to get really cooked and even get a good black edge. That black stuff really means good flavor. After four or five minutes, check them, and turn if they’re ready to ensure that all the veggies get tender and caramelized.

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Step 6) Remove the veggies and set them aside, and add more butter to the skillet. Rinse the marinade off your steak and give them a liberal coating of salt and pepper on both sides, and add them to the cast iron skillet. We prefer ours medium rare, so about two minutes on each side should do the trick.

Step 7) Cut the steaks into strips after they’re cooked and serve it all in a warm tortilla.

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I made some cilantro-lime rice to accompany this dish. I love cilantro-lime rice because, like everything else on this plate, it’s fresh and tangy and not too bogged down in heavy flavors.

Easy Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
2 cups water
1 lime (juice and zest)
1/3 C chopped cilantro

Step 1) Begin my melting 2 T of butter in a skillet has a lid. Add 1 cup of jasmine or basmati rice to the skillet and coat the grains in butter.

Step 2) Add two cups of water and a teaspoon of kosher salt to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is done, stirring occasionally. I find that this skillet method ensures loose, fluffy rice instead of sticky, clumping rice.

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Step 3) Grate some lime zest onto the cooked rice,

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and stir it in with the juice of the lime and the cilantro, and a little more salt if necessary.

Load up your plate. We had beans and sweet corn too, just for good measure. What’s best about this meal is that I have leftovers for today. And sauce. Loads of sauce. Probably more than we’ll ever eat, so give me a buzz if you’d like a to-go container.

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