Taste of the Week: Tacos Built with Flavor

Jaco Tuesday has become very competitive. There are so many restaurants in Boulder County serving what are labeled “authentic” Mexican street tacos, I checked in with Pepe and Veronica Diaz at Tierra Y Fuego Taqueria in North Boulder to refresh my taste buds with the real scratch-off deal. . The couple’s nearby Diaz Farm provides some of the fresh produce featured in the tariff.

My mouth was very happy with the taco pancita I started with. Soft corn tortillas filled with juicy smoked pork belly are brightened up with mango habanero salsa. As an accompaniment: Mexican rice and black beans topped with cheese. Equally compelling was a taco pollo asado filled with grilled chicken thighs marinated in lime juice, onions and spices. Sprinkled on top is a creamy avocado and jalapeno salsa.

Tierra y Fuego’s cheese enchiladas caught the eye of my guest, who enjoyed two cheese enchiladas with chicken smothered in homemade red and mole sauces. We were happy to add warm tortilla chips and freshly made guacamole.

Other dishes on the restaurant menu include grilled meats camarones a la parrilla with Green and Red Slaw and Jalapeño Lime Cream. For the true aficionado, the language—tender beef tongue simmered in herbs and spices—is a rare treat as a topping for tacos, quesadillas, tortas, gorditas and burritos. The star of the meatless menu is Diaz’s Zesty Potatoes and Carrots in Green Chili Sauce. Beat the heat with a chilled glass of horchata or hibiscus aguas frescoes.

Boulder Recipe Flashback: A Simple Salad

Before becoming known as Cheese Importer’s Warehouse, with Colorado’s largest cheese selection in one place, Longmont’s food company was known as Willow River Cheese. The company wholesaled various cheeses to restaurants and stores in Boulder County. In the late 1990s, Willow River shared a simple salad recipe requested by a fan.

Willow River Gorgonzola Salad

1 jar (16 ounces) plain artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup oil-dried black olives, drained

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 tablespoons mixed herbs de Provence (or other green herbs)

Gorgonzola vinaigrette:

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup diced fresh shallots

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients, toss with salad, refrigerate and serve.

Culinary calendar: Pie on the 4th

The Denver Botanical Garden has reopened its authentic Japanese tea house for tea ceremony weekends through September. Reservations: botanicgardens.org … The Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival, June 25-26, offers a wide range of bacon dishes paired with various bourbons. Details: keystonefestivals.com. …Jamestown holds its annual cake and pie contests during the mountain town’s July 4th celebration. Pies can be fruit, berry or nut. No cream or meringue pies. They don’t hold up to heat. Registration forms are due June 30 and pies and cakes must be delivered by 10 a.m. on July 4. Register: bit.ly/3OBZmWm or call Lynnie Middledorf at 303-444-0419.

Where are Boulder County Farms?

We’re putting together a comprehensive guide to local farms and roadside food stalls. Please email Farm Stand information including hours, offerings and detailed location to: [email protected]

The Great Cooking of Spent Grain

For Colorado’s Front Range to become the epicenter of America’s craft beer renaissance, dozens of breweries had to operate endless kegs for many years. To make all these tasty beers, brewers cook tons of barley, rice and wheat, resulting in a veritable mountain of spent grains. Much of it is used to feed livestock and some is simply composted. Exhausted cereals – essentially hot whole grains – are still quite tasty and nutritious. During the month of June, Arvada’s LUKI Brewery held a Spent Grain Bake-off – and there’s still time to enter the game. To compete, bring a 1 gallon zip-lock bag to get Spent Grain Bake-off at a day of brewing. Freeze it if you are not cooking immediately. Entries, along with receipts, must be delivered to the brewery on Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m. Entries will be judged July 1 by brewery staff and staff dogs for three categories: bread, no bread, dog treats. Details: lukibrew.com

Send information about food events, classes, festivals, farm dinners, farm stands and tastings in Boulder County and Colorado to: [email protected]