I'm pleased to share this super-nutritious salad from Chef Marlene Aguilar. However, let me begin by saying that the word "chef" can be a rather generic title for someone who tells such stories with her food. So I asked Marlene what she prefers to call herself, and her answer was perfect: Community Cocinera with an Indigenous Plant-Based Sazón. Dang, now that's a title!
Cocinera Marlene Aguilar is one half of Cocina ManaKurhini, a mobile pop-up kitchen in Los Angeles, California where they state, "our dishes are humble renditions showcasing the fine culinary art of Mesoamerican/Indigenous foods through creative and ceremonial expressions that channel ancestral flavors of knowledge into your body and its genetic memory". All I know for certain is that Marlene's creative dishes are thoughtful, visually stunning, and radiate with love. This is why I'm so very appreciative she took time out of her busy work week to share that LOVE with a vibrantly-colored winter salad using one of my favorite edible flowers - hibiscus!
If you're in Los Angeles and crave seasonal dishes that honor the area and it's people, be sure to check out the links listed below - your body and spirit will be happy you did.
"Community Cocinera with an Indigenous Plant-Based Sazón"
WINTER SALAD WITH PONCHE VINAIGRETTE
2-4 servings
WINTER SALAD
4-8 oz. romeritos*, rinsed
1 lb. jicama, peeled, medium dice
1 lb. castilla squash, peeled, seeds removed, medium dice
toasted pepitas, for garnish, to taste
sea salt, or your favorite salt, to taste
PONCHE VINAIGRETTE
Yields approx. 2-2 ½ cups
8 oz. guayabas (guavas)
4 oz. tejocotes**
dried hibiscus flowers***, generous handful
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup water or more depending on desired consistency
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons oil (I used grapeseed oil)
sea salt, or your favorite salt, to taste
*Romeritos are a wild edible green native to Mexico. You can substitute romeritos with any other winter green such as baby spinach.
**Tejocotes are native to the mountainous regions of Mexico and are often used as the main ingredient in a punch (ponche) served at Christmas time. You can substitute tejocotes with crab apples or regular apples if you are unable to source them.
***Dried hibiscus flowers are sometimes labeled Jamaica Flowers.
Preparation
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F and bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare an "ice bath" by filling a medium sized bowl with cool water and ice cubes, set aside.
2. Place romeritos in boiling water, and blanch them until they turn bright green in color.
3. Strain romeritos using a colander, then quickly place blanched romeritos in prepared ice bath to stop the cooking process. Strain romeritos once again and set aside.
4. While oven continues to heat up, peel jicama and squash (discard seeds from squash or save for another recipe). Dice into cubes and place in mixing bowl. Add enough oil to coat cubes, toss to evenly distribute oil. Season with salt.
5. Spread cubes evenly on a sheet pan. Roast in oven until cubes are tender and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.
6. Place guayabas, tejocotes, and hibiscus in a medium sized sauce pan and add just enough water to cover.
7. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cook until fruit is tender.
8. Reserving the cooking liquid, strain the fruit and hibiscus mixture using a colander set over a bowl, or, alternatively you can remove the cooked fruit and hibiscus using a slotted spoon. Once the tejocotes are cool enough to handle, remove the pits. Add the fruit and hibiscus mixture to a blender, using some of the reserved cooking liquid, and blend until smooth.
9. Strain pureed fruit mixture using a fine mesh strainer to remove guayaba seeds. Rinse blender pitcher to remove any remaining seeds before continuing on to the next step.
10. Add fruit puree, garlic, agave syrup, apple cider vinegar, and ¼ cup of water to the blender. With the blender on, slowly pour in oil by removing blender cap from lid. Add more water if needed, until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste. Set aside to allow mixture to cool.
11. Place blanched romeritos and roasted vegetables in a serving dish, gently combine. Garnish with toasted pepitas and add vinaigrette to taste.