In college, I worked at El Gato Gordo restaurant as a cashier, stashed away in the kitchen where no one would see me. The benefit of working there is that I got to eat a meal for each shift I worked. Hence I got to eat 3x week for that year and a half of my life.
One of the favorite dishes was Calabacitas, a zucchini melange of goodness.
In 1994, I spent a chunk of time in Albuquerque and developed a love of southwestern cooking. I took Santa Fe light and spicy recipes to heart and dabbled in green chiles for years.
Flash to now, when I get zucs and summer squash in the CSA and from my garden. I decided to look up Calabacitas in the cookbook and alas, there was a never-before tried recipe! I always rate and note each recipe I actually make and here was a virgin recipe!
Although the first time I tried it (2 months ago) was really good, I’ve improved on the flavor. The recipe calls for chicken broth so I use chipotle bullion. I add additional cumin, salt and cayenne. Extra jack cheese makes this super gooey and irresistible.
This is the best use for an abundance of zucs and summer squash.
