The temperatures haven’t risen out of the mid-60s besides two freak days a couple of weeks ago, but I don’t care if it’s too soon- I’m declaring it salad season.
It’s also running season, now that I can venture outside without four layers and my face getting unadorably wind-chapped. In fact, I’ve already managed to create a full-on racerback tan just in time for a wedding I’m attending on Friday in a backless dress. One of my favorite ways to “do the weekend” – and this should come as absolutely no surprise to those who know me – is to figure out the most efficient way to tackle my to-do list. Often, this means mapping my running route around things I need to get done.
One of my favorite such errands involves running around the bottom of Central Park and up the east side until I get to 102nd St., and from there jetting east to the lower border of Spanish Harlem. On Lexington Ave., at the top of a hill, is a teeny tiny grocery store called El Tepeyac. It looks like not much from the outside- you could be excused for mistaking it for another corner deli. But inside, it’s as if you were teleported to Mexico.
There’s an entire wall of chiles- they climb so high up you can’t really tell what’s what without climbing the stepping stool to check it out. There’s every Mexican pickle and condiment you can think of. There are 15 different types of religious candles. There’s a small but mighty area of produce that includes the impossible-to-source epazote, tomatillos and avocados that are ALWAYS ripe. There’s a hunk of queso anejo that you can break a piece off of and wrap up for yourself. And there’s always a giant cauldron of homemade tamales by the cash register. It is basically heaven for someone like me who at times is looking for a place to source all my favorite Mexican ingredients in one fell swoop- and I’ve only ever wandered into this store red-faced, covered in sweat and looking to purchase several pounds of tomatillos.
I went through a phase about a month ago where I was making tons of Mexican food and at El Tepeyac every weekend. This salad was one unexpected but winning dish I tried my hand at (the beef it accompanied was not as delicious). It’s combination of potato, funky oyster mushrooms, deeply roasted poblano peppers and toasted pumpkin seeds with a tangy, spicy dressing of lime juice, olive oil and jalapenos. It is interesting and refreshing- and it doesn’t even require a visit to El Tepeyac.
Ingredients
- 13 1/2 oz. potatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 10 1/2 oz. oyster mushrooms
- 2 poblano chiles, roasted for about 5 minutes on an open oven burner
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 2 pickled jalapenos
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat potatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper, wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Slice into bite-sized chunks.
- To make the vinaigrette, combine the pickled jalapenos, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, poblano chiles, potatoes and vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
From Mexico: The Cookbook
