Burrito Ideas for Summer ~ Use your Garden & Farmer's Market

. . . to create beautiful food. Probably my favorite part of cooking is using the ingredients that I get from my garden and the local farmer's market in new and creative ways. Because I have been a bit busy lately and am healing from a neck injury, simplicity in cooking is important. Stella has also had a bit of a digestive virus so I wanted to make a meal that would have enough options for her to eat something.

Burritos= simplicity + options / local ingredients + traditional ingredients (avocado, lime, salsa, jalapeno)

Today I want to focus on some ideas for making your own burritos with fresh local ingredients. My kids love burritos and it gives them and me a lot of options depending on our mood.

Stella (1 1/2) ejoys a big plate of burritos

For me simplicity was looking in my pantry and using adzuki beans & sushi rice. I used my own spinach & lettuce, parsley from my garden and eggs from my chickens. Another reason I think burritos are simple is because you can start with a shell and just a few fillings and have a spectacular meal. I place "toppings" in bowls and people can add what they like.

Here are some ingredients you can mix and match to make burritos:

Tortillas: we like 100% corn tortillas. they are usually smaller than flour ones. Get a bamboo steamer for your tortillas, it makes a huge difference in the taste!!

Lime & lemon: squeeze some on top of your burrito or add to salsa

Tomatillos: can buy as in a salsa, or as a fresh fruit and cut, cook, and make into salsa or topping.

salsa: try a mango, pineapple, or green salsa, or make your own. I think it would be fin to make a rhubarb and mango salsa, and rhubarb is in season!

Plain yogurt or sour cream

Guacamole or avocados

Fresh tomatoes: sometimes if I froget salsa, I slice up a tomato and barely miss the salsa.

Rice: I like wild rice mixes, jasmine, and sushi rice

Beans: any type (black, pinto, black eyed peas, adzuki)- adzuki beans (little red beans you can buy in bulk at health food or co-op stores) are especially good as they soften into a nice refried bean type mash as they cook. All dried beans soak in water for 4-8 hours and then cook in a pan covered by several inches of water for a few hours. You may need to add more water as they cook. Beans soak up a large amount of water, especially if you do not soak them for long before hand.

Meat: chicken, beef, fish, soy alternative

Herbs: parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, cumin, fennel. Try using one or two herbs at a time, can prepare as toppings or with meat and/or beans

Onions & garlic: cook on its own as a topping or with meat and beans

Greens: spinach, lettuce. Cut small and serve as topping. If you will be reheating the burritos, choose spinach, as it will reheat beautifully

Cheese: feta, farmer, jack, jalapeno, anything you will enjoy.

Jalapenos: cook on the side or with the meat/beans. If you will be serving children, put the jalapenos on the side rather than in the meat/beans

Eggs: scramble and enjoy with beans and cheese

Beer: for the adults, serve burritos with a nice cold specialty beer, I have been enjoying Kona Wailua Wheat Beer with Passion Fruit

Anything I am forgetting that you like to add to yours? Add a comment at the bottom!!