Fresh Fajita Feast

PART 2 Family Celebration Summer 2010

The Californians in the family planned and executed the second large family meal in my family's days-long summer anniversary celebration, this time held at the folks' house where they were staying. My brother Dave and his wife Nancy, recently moved from Texas to the LA area, have used their time wisely by finding farmer's markets. Admittedly, when you live in California, it's probably hard NOT to find a fresh-food stand of some sort. However, the lucky folks live just minutes away from a market that is open several days a week. One of the things they have fallen in love with are homemade whole-wheat tortillas, sold fresh at this market. So they decided to master-mind a meal centering on these delicious whole wheat tortillas---which they bought in bulk, planning to carry them on the plane to Colorado. Unfortunately, they somehow managed to leave them in their freezer at home. Not to be deterred, Nancy found the tortilla makers online and had a large quantity delivered to the folks' house in Colorado the day before their planned meal.

The meal was to be fajitas, with grilled marinated chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, and trimmings. Gina, the plan-ahead cook, assisted by providing two crock-pot side dishes of rice and beans, which turned out fabulously. Miraculously, from Gina's kitchen a large cut-up watermelon somehow appeared, apparently sliced and diced well in advance of the fajita dinner. Because fajitas are a more last-minute meal, we all got involved in the preparation. There was lots of slicing of onions and peppers to be done. Dave was dispatched to the grill at the appropriate time to watch over the chicken, and what do you know? When someone stands over the grill, the meat does not get burned or scorched or dried out or any of those nasty side effects of negligent grilling that tend to occur at my house.

The jewels of the meal of course were the tender, flavorful FRESH whole wheat tortillas straight from California. They were like none I had eaten before---none of that chewy, nondescript non-flavor that characterizes the average tortilla from the grocery store. Paired with the deliciously flavored and perfectly grilled chicken, topped with the veggies and sauces, the fajitas rivaled any at a top quality restaurant.

After all that delicious food, we still managed somehow to find room for the two cakes, chocolate and lemon, which had been lovingly offered to our parents by some friends for the occasion. It was short order to get the meal cleaned up with all the people milling around looking for tasks, though there was some mild squabbling about how to dispose of the plastic disposable plates---rinse? recycle? reuse? No matter, it gave more time for fun and opinion sharing and silliness in the kitchen which makes any job go faster.

There was some debate about how to use the left-over tortillas to their best advantage, as there was not much chicken and veggie filling left for future fajita meals. Nancy recommended keeping it short and simple----warm one up, butter it and put cinnamon and sugar in it. Then eat it while it is hot and fresh.