Fall’s Don’t-Miss Dish
Obsessed taco lovers know that a great taco is all about the tortilla. In Santa Barbara County, we’re in luck: We know many restaurants and taco stands that hand-make tortillas from scratch, from masa imported from Mexico. It’s the real deal. But Conrad Gonzales, the chef behind Valle Eatery & Bar in Lompoc and Vallefresh catering and taco bar in Los Alamos, is kicking that up a notch by growing traditional heirloom Mexican corn right here in Goleta.
The bright green corn has now been harvested, and Gonzales is busy processing it, grinding it into masa and making homemade tortillas from it. Don’t miss his Goat Cheese-Stuffed Fried Squash Blossom Taco on an heirloom green corn tortilla with green tomatillo sauce, pinquito beans, Cotija cheese and avocado at his eateries this fall.
To make the dish, he rolls a small amount of pure masa into a ball, then flattens it with a tortilla press and grills each side on a griddle or cast iron skillet until browned. He stuffs squash blossoms with goat cheese, dips them in batter, then fries them in hot oil until golden.
He lays a tortilla on a plate and drizzles it with tomatillo sauce, then tops it with avocado, pinquito beans, a squash blossom, Cotija cheese and epazote (a Mexican herb similar to oregano or mint) or cilantro, and the completed dish is served with lime.
