Housemade Hot sauce (CK Sriracha)
The Comfort Kitchen makes most of its condiments in-house, except for ketchup and mayo. Their in-house pickles are also a treat.
Makes 1–2 cups
1 pound fresh red jalapeños
6 whole garlic cloves
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon xantham gum, optional
Preheat oven to 375°. Roast jalapeños and garlic for 20 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Carefully, with gloves, de-seed jalapeños and remove stems, then mix peppers with garlic, cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, blend mixture on high, adding some water to thin and some xantham gum to bind and continue blending longer to create a consistent texture. Store in refrigerator for up to a month.
Gomez Veggieville Veggie Tacos
These veggie tacos, like all of Comfort Kitchen’s vegetarian creations, taste substantive, with layers of complex flavors and textures and a bracing lashing of heat. All of the produce will be sourced from the Gomez family, Rory says.
Serves 4
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
Olive oil, to taste
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon salt
2 limes, zested and juiced
¼ cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 tablespoon local honey
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 medium poblano peppers, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked black beans (either canned or dried, soaked overnight and cooked until tender)
12 corn or flour tortillas
1 bunch of small radishes, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water
Preheat oven to 400°. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, 1 tablespoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes until fully cooked and beginning to brown.
Make the slaw: Toss red cabbage with about 1 tablespoon salt and the juice of 2 limes in a large bowl. Mix well with tongs and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes until cabbage begins to release some liquid. Add half the cilantro and 1 tablespoon of honey. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Meanwhile in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, cook ½ red onion and poblano peppers in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until beginning to soften. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, remaining 2 teaspoons of cumin and ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, lime zest and more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you cook the tortillas.
Corn tortillas should be cooked in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to color and puff up. Place cooked tortillas on a small plate and cover with another plate upside down to keep warm. Flour tortillas can be wrapped in foil and warmed in an oven until ready to serve.
To serve, place sweet potato mixture in tortillas, top with slaw, remaining cilantro and sliced radishes. Top with housemade hot sauce.
Seasonal variations: Substitute sweet potatoes with new potatoes and red cabbage with Gomez Veggie Ville’s red spinach. Add sliced avocado. Substitute sweet potatoes and poblano peppers with Gomez Veggie Ville’s sweet corn and heirloom cherry tomatoes.
