By Bev Eskew
Owner/Chef, Spade & Spatula-Ca. Gastropub
As a kid, born and raised in Southern California, my parents always had a backyard garden. I grew up in a multicultural and multilingual family with diverse food roots and all transplants from outside California in the 1960s.
My father, originally from West Texas, my stepmom from Honduras, my mom from Louisiana and my mom’s partner from Pennsylvania all shared a deep love for California and the things that grow here.
My father’s West Texas (French-Welsh) roots, my stepmom’s traditional Honduran (Spanish/indigenous) roots, my mom’s (Scotch-Irish-French) Southern Cajun roots and my mom’s partner’s (West African) roots all brought different styles, points of views and different plant knowledge. All different but all rooted in love, respect and care for Mother Earth, the lessons we can learn from her and the foods that shape the diversity of who we are as Americans!
For me, every new season brought new opportunities to learn about new fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices and the broad range of things that can grow here in California’s Mediterranean climate. I honor these early influences, and the people and ingredients that have made me who I am today. As I continue to grow and learn, I am continuously being shaped by different cultural influences, culinary influences and the experiences I share with dear friends around me.
As a chef, restauranteur and mountain local of 10 years, I share with you a love of the mountain, mountain people, California cuisine, history and culture expressed through my lens. In my world, every ingredient has a story to tell!
Welcome to the journey, as we travel through the seasons, one lesson and one recipe at a time!
DANDELION SALSA
This recipe is rooted in the three sisters (corn, beans, squash) growing technique used for centuries by first peoples of this land that teach us that, through diversity, we can grow stronger together.
I’ll never forget the first time I took a bite of a fresh, sun-ripened tomato straight off the vine; how buttery and satisfying an avocado is, when eaten at peak perfection after watching and waiting for the first ones to fall to the warm summer ground; the sweet crunch of a summer sun-soaked ear of fresh corn; and the smell of sweet and sour Meyer lemons, juiced straight from the tree in winter and reserved for summer salsa. These are the memories this recipe brings back for me. I hope you all can relate.
1 package vine-ripened tomatoes, rinsed and diced small (think Pico de gallo)
1/3 cup minced dandelion greens
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 Serrano peppers finely minced
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, diced small
1 Tbsp Celtic sea salt
Add ingredients to a large bowl, mix together and serve. Yield: 2 quarts
Dandelion salsa and sweet corn black bean dip
SWEET CORN BLACK BEAN DIP
6 boiled and grilled ears of corn with corn cut off the cob
3 Tbsp lime juice
1-1/2 cups black beans
2 small avocadoes, cubed
1 deseeded jalapeno pepper
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 Tbsp Celtic sea salt
Add ingredients to a large bowl, mix together and serve. Yield: 2 quarts
BLUE CORN CHIPS
2 dozen blue corn tortillas, cut into triangles
Fry in 325-degree frying oil of choice (sunflower or avocado work great), about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and serve.
Bev Eskew is the owner/chef of Spade & Spatula-Ca. Gastropub, located at 27214 Highway 189 in Blue Jay. For more information and the menu, visit spadespatula-cagastropub.com.
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