Sometimes when I’m having trouble coming up with something new and interesting, all it takes is a trip to a market that’s not in my usual repertoire of shops. On this particular occasion, I decided to trek out to Essex Market. It’s an indoor public market in the Lower East Side that houses an eclectic collection of shops including a butcher, a fishmonger, a cheesemonger, some Latin American grocers and a TV repair shop.
There, I spotted a these gorgeous green pads of Nopal, which I couldn’t resist. Still wondering what I was going to do with my newly acquired prickly veggies, I headed over to Saxelby Cheesemongers. The thing I like about this cheese shop is that they don’t have an overwhelming selection like some places in Manahattan, and yet they always seem to have something special and delicious.
I picked up a wedge of True Blue, and it wasn’t until I got out onto the street that it occurred to me that my two random purchases might work together. There, on the chewing gum strewn sidewalk, the idea of cactus canapés was born.
When brushed with olive oil and grilled, nopales make the perfect flat foil that can be cut to almost any shape and topped with various things. After having a bite with just the nopal and cheese, I realized it needed something to bridge the gap between the tartness of the nopal and the brine of the cheese, perhaps something a little sweet. In keeping with the cactus theme, I drizzled a bit of agave nectar on each piece, which did the trick.
Ingredients
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2
nopales
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olive oil
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salt
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Roquefort cheese (such as Ewe's Blue)
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Agave nectar
Steps
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Clean the nopales of any remaining spines by placing each segment on a flat surface and running the back side of your knife from the top to the bottom. Be sure to get all around the edges as well. Once you've removed all the spines, wash them off and dry them.
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Brush the nopales with olive oil and sprinkle some salt on each one. Put them on a grill or under a broiler until cooked through and lightly browned.
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Slice each segment into bite size pieces and top with a piece of Roquefort and a drizzle of agave nectar.
Notes:
Jan says
Can’t say I’ve never heard of or seen Nopales before! Very interesting.
Jan says
Can’t say I’ve never heard of or seen Nopales before! Very interesting.
Jeff says
Jealous of your access to amazing food. I have been on a mission for cactus after having a cactus chili at the local salad shop Saturday.
Everything is better with Roquefort cheese and now if I can find my cactus bet to heck I am making this.
Jen says
I admire the simplicity of this recipe and how the best of each ingredient shines through the presentation and taste. I don’t think I’ll find nopales around here, but I’ll daydream!
Jeff says
Jealous of your access to amazing food. I have been on a mission for cactus after having a cactus chili at the local salad shop Saturday.
Everything is better with Roquefort cheese and now if I can find my cactus bet to heck I am making this.
Jen says
I admire the simplicity of this recipe and how the best of each ingredient shines through the presentation and taste. I don’t think I’ll find nopales around here, but I’ll daydream!
katiek says
Wow. You make cleaning nopales sound so easy. My friend is always telling me how hard they are to clean. In SF the mexican markets even clean them for you and cut them up.
I like this take on traditional fare. I was debating o serve them with mole negro at my “Sweating Mexico” dinner party. Sadly, I never did.
Thanks for reminding me of them. Maybe I’ll finally do something with them.
katiek says
Wow. You make cleaning nopales sound so easy. My friend is always telling me how hard they are to clean. In SF the mexican markets even clean them for you and cut them up.
I like this take on traditional fare. I was debating o serve them with mole negro at my “Sweating Mexico” dinner party. Sadly, I never did.
Thanks for reminding me of them. Maybe I’ll finally do something with them.
Patty F. says
This Idea is great, thank you also for all of you Nopal fans you can also peel the.dice them in to 1/2 cubes and bile them with salt, a 1/2 med. onion and a handful of cilantro. once boiling for a 1/2 hour you can drain, rince and use in an egg fritatta or even in a Pico de gallo salsa with Nopal! Yummy!