Ground Beef/Cilantro Tortillas, with Help from Lyn-Dell Farm

I’m sorry to see the Westford Winter Farmers’ Market close for the season. It was so fun to go each Saturday! But, I have a freezer full of ground beef from Pepperell-based Lyn-Dell Farm, and as promised in my previous column, this week I’m sharing a recipe to use some of that ground beef.

If you didn’t have a chance to buy ground beef from Lyn-dell at the Farmers’ Market, check their website for other local locations where you can purchase their beef.

One of my son’s favorite meals is tacos. He likes meat and cheese and nothing else in his tacos. Like the previous recipe I shared for, I’ve tried to think of ways to make the meal more interesting for my husband and me, while still simple enough for the kids. Tacos are easy since everyone can add just the things they like.

I’m including a recipe here to make your own tortillas. Obviously, you can skip this step and buy premade tortillas. However, I find it’s a fun activity to do with kids, and making your own tortillas, you can add whatever flavors you’d like.  For me, there’s nothing more delicious than a tortilla bursting with cilantro!

Tortilla Ingredients (makes approximately 10 tortillas):

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup boiling water
• Additional olive oil for cooking

Tortilla Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and cilantro leaves.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour.  Pour in the olive oil and boiling water.  Stir until the water is absorbed, then knead until all the flour is incorporated into the dough (about two minutes).  The dough should be approximately the consistency of playdough.  Add a little more water if the dough is too dry.
3. Cover the dough with a towel, then let it rest for approximately 1 hour.
4. Pull off a golf ball sized piece of dough.  Roll it into a ball, then flatten slightly.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the tortilla as thin as you can (approximately 1/8 inch).
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet.  Place a tortilla in the pan.  Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  There should be some golden brown spots on the tortilla, but it shouldn’t be fully browned as you want the tortilla to remain pliable instead of crunchy.
6. While the tortilla is cooking, roll out the next tortilla.  When the first tortilla is done, remove to a plate, add a little more olive oil, and cook the second tortilla.  Continue until all tortillas have been rolled out and cooked.

Tortillas can be stored overnight in a plastic bag, though you may want to reheat briefly the following day.

Taco ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound ground beef
• Your favorite taco seasoning (I just use a packet from the supermarket)
• Additional taco toppings to taste, such as cheese, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Taco Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel and dice the sweet potato and red potatoes.  Dice into bite sized pieces (approximately ½” cubes).  Spread the potatoes on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle on approximately ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and paprika.  Stir gently, then bake for approximately 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice a large onion.  In a medium skillet over medium low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the onions, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the onions.  Cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 minutes.
4. While the potatoes and onions are cooking, place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until uniformly browned.  Try to break up the ground beef into small pieces as you are browning.  Season with your favorite taco seasoning according to the packet directions.
5. Assemble the tacos on your homemade cilantro tortillas and enjoy!