Edible Mexican Garden. Rosalind Creasy

      

      First published in 2000 by

       PERIPLUS EDITIONS (HK) LTD.,

       with editorial offices at 153 Milk Street,

       364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759 U.S.A.

       and 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167

      Photographs and text copyright © 2000 Rosalind Creasy

       All photos by Rosalind Creasy, except those that appear courtesy of:

       David Cavagnaro: pages 32, 33 Cover photo appears courtesy of Charles Mann.

      Illustrations by Marcy Hawthorne.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

      ISBN 962-593-297-6; ISBN 978-1-4629-1765-5 (ebook)

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      First edition

       05 04 03 02 01 00

       10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

      Design by Kathryn Sky-Peck

      PRINTED IN SINGAPORE

      contents

       Edible Mexican Gardens

       How to Grow a Mexican Garden

       Creasy Mexican Gardens

       Mini Mexican Herb Gardens

       Interview: The Anderson Garden

       Encyclopedia of Mexican Vegetables

       From Amaranth to Wild Greens

       Cooking from the Mexican Garden

       Ingredients

       Cooking Techniques

       Basic Cooked Mexican Tomato Sauce

       Mole Verde (Green Mole with Vegetables and Seeds)

       Guacamole

       Salsa Fresca (Fresh Salsa)

       Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Salsa)

       Salsa Cruda

       Greens, Mexican Style

       Fruit Salad with Jicama (Ensalada de Fruita)

       Cactus Paddle Salad (Ensalada de Nopalitos)

       Cool White Salad

       Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)

       Malva and Zucchini Soup (Sopa de Alache y Calabacitas)

       Winter Squash Soup (Sopa de Calabaza)

       Red Pozole (Pozole Rojo)

       Chayote Sauté with Chilis

       Fava Beans with Tomatoes (Habas y Jitomates)

       Esquites

       Huevos Rancheros

       Quesadillas

       Bean Burritos

       Tortilla Casserole

       Pork Shoulder Sandwiches with Tomatillos (Tortas de Piernas)

       Pork Stew with Purslane

       Melon Cooler (Agua de Sandia)

       Jamaica Tea (Agua Jamaica)

       Iceberg Cooler

       Appendices

       Appendix A: Planting and Maintenance

       Appendix B: Pest and Disease Control

       Resources

       Acknowledgments

      Peppers of all types are native to Mexico and parts of South America and play a critical role in these regional cuisines. In Mexico, peppers are valued not only for their spiciness, but also for their incredible range of flavor and versatility.

      edible mexican gardens

      My husband and I moved from the Boston area to Northern California in 1967. For a few days I was homesick and needed a reason to feel we had made the right decision. A former Bostonian friend had settled here a few years earlier and she invited us over for supper. Well, sir—she served tacos with homemade salsa. What a revelation! I’d never tasted anything so good—I was hooked. A few more Mexican meals and a trip to San Francisco and I knew I had