Food on the Hill
This week’s recipe:
Calabacitas
Photo by Felicia Orth
Fall 1986. We had recently moved to Santa Fe from St. Louis. “What are you bringing to the Church potluck?” “Calle-besitas,” I said, showing off my new pronunciation skills with my new recipe. “Little street kisses? Sounds like an interesting dish….” We talked long enough that our friend was able to (stop chuckling and) correct my pronunciation of a New Mexican dish, calabacitas. Squash, corn and chiles—all vegetables long grown in the New World. The Pueblo Indians shared this ancient dish with the Spanish. Calabaza is Spanish for squash, and although any squash can be used, the summer squashes are most popular. In its simplest form, it is vegan and a standard in our house. We always serve it at Thanksgiving with shredded cheese on the side and my husband’s annual reminder of the original gaffe.
This recipe serves 6-8 as a side, but can be easily multiplied. It is also easily adapted to change the traditional ratio of squash to corn and chile. Given the moisture content of the vegetables, I would hesitate to freeze it, but if you will be cooking in a hurry or making it for a crowd, cut up the squash, onion and garlic ahead of time, refrigerate in zipped plastic bags, sauté, and add thawed frozen chopped chiles and frozen corn instead of fresh. Still delicious! If you want to add some crunch, sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Photo by Felicia Orth
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 onion, chopped (a red, white or yellow onion is standard; 6-8 scallions, white and green parts both, give a more vivid onion flavor)
- A head of garlic, the cloves finely minced
- 4 cups summer squash (I use a combination of yellow and zucchini), quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels
- 2 cups roasted green chile, chopped (if thawed, drain well)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp. each oregano and ground cumin
Preparation:
Heat half of the oil/butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until fragrant. Add the minced garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add the squash and sauté 5 minutes, or just until the chunks are no longer raw. Add the remaining oil/butter with the corn and green chile and sauté a few minutes longer, just until heated all the way through. Avoid overcooking—the squash goes to mush. Season with herbs, salt, pepper and serve hot. Many enjoy shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream on the top; I serve these items on the side.
Calabacitas
Photo by Felicia Orth
