By Tomato harvest round two. Eduardo's tomatoes are coming in full throttle. The second flush. I have canned forty more jars of sauce this week. Mrs. Pelletier came over Saturday to help me. We did a whole day of canning — six hours, thirty-six jars, a pile of tomato skins in the compost — and we drank iced coffee and we talked about her daughter in Vermont and my daughter in nursing school and the way our daughters turn out exactly like us in some ways and nothing like us in others.
Mrs. Pelletier said, "Carmen, I am seventy-three." I said, "You look fifty." She said, "Carmen, you do not know how to say that to a French-Canadian. We do not take compliments." I said, "Take it anyway." She laughed. She said, "My mother died at ninety-one. She canned strawberries the summer she died." I said, "My mother is eighty-seven and she does not can." She said, "Does she do something else?" I said, "She supervises." Mrs. Pelletier laughed again. She said, "I know that kind of mother. Those mothers live forever." I did not argue. I did not know. I did not want to hope too loud. Wepa.
Food bank Monday and Thursday went well. Monday: carne guisada with mashed potatoes (130 people). Thursday: pernil (148 people, record, because word had gotten around that Thursday was the pernil day). Amelia asked me again if I would consider three days a week. I said, "Not yet." Two is correct. Two protects Mami time.
Mami on Sunday was okay. She ate. She said little. She held Andrés for ten minutes when Rosa came up from New Haven — Andrés is five months old now, big-cheeked, gurgling — and Mami said to him in Spanish, "You have my mother's ears." This is the fourth Delgado ancestor Mami has identified in Andrés's face. At this rate, by the time he is a year old, Mami will have found every dead relative in his features. The baby is the archive. The ancestors come back.
Sofía came Saturday afternoon for dinner. She has been studying pharmacology all week. She is tired but enthusiastic. She said, "Ma, I want to specialize in Latino community health like I told you. I want to do my capstone project on a community health model for South End Hartford." I said, "Mija, do it." She said, "It is a lot of work." I said, "Mija, everything worth it is a lot of work. You are a Delgado. The work is our medium." She smiled. She hugged me. She ate two plates. She went home. Wepa.
After six hours of canning with Mrs. Pelletier, thirty-six jars lined up on my counter, my hands smelling of tomatoes and my heart full from all that talking — I wanted dinner to be something lighter, something with crunch and color that felt like a reward. Sofía was coming Saturday and I knew she needed a plate that said “you are doing beautifully” without me having to say it out loud. These crispy cauliflower tacos did exactly that. Simple enough for a tired canning day, bright enough to celebrate a daughter who is going to change her community one pharmacy at a time.
Crispy Cauliflower Tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4 (2 tacos per person)
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8 small corn or flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo or fresh salsa
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season the cauliflower. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Roast until crispy. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet — do not crowd the pan. Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the edges are browned and crispy.
- Warm the tortillas. While the cauliflower finishes roasting, warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds.
- Make the lime crema. Stir the lime juice into the sour cream or Greek yogurt. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Assemble the tacos. Layer each tortilla with shredded red cabbage, a generous scoop of crispy cauliflower, pico de gallo, and avocado slices. Drizzle with lime crema and top with fresh cilantro.
- Serve immediately. Arrange on a platter with lime wedges on the side and serve right away while the cauliflower is still crispy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 420mg