Spineless Prickly Pear Brunch

As Dan and I steward in place, we are enjoying the desert bounty already growing in our own backyard - our spineless prickly pear! My friend Duane tells me this isn't prickly pear pickin' time... But our spineless prickly pear is ripe for the pickin'!

You can identify this variety by the yellow flowers, pink and burgundy fruit and the new beaver-tail shaped pads with little curved conical green leaves. 

For the past few weeks Dan has been harvesting the ripe, burgundy colored fruit and making delicious prickly pear syrup. You can watch our "how to" video here.

Dan holding the fruit with tongs and brushing off spines 

Meanwhile, I have been harvesting our nopales and preparing them for breakfast and snacks. This has come in real handy since we aren't going to store as often in an attempt to avoid the crowds during the pandemic! We don't really have to tend the cactus like I do with our other edible plants. Though Dan occasionally dumps some kitchen rinse water on them when they are looking really desiccated.

harvesting the younger pods with bbq tongs

Lately I have been harvesting the new pads. FAIR WARNING: the word "Spineless" in the name is misleading since under the curly leaves are white spots with tiny spines that can stick to your fingers or tongue if you're not careful. I got one in my finger that was irritating me to no end last night. The younger pads are darker green and smaller (averaging 5 inches) than the older pads that appear spineless. The older pads are tougher and not as tasty. 

younger prickly pair pad with leaves ready to be harvested

Here's how I prepared the pads...

First, I put them in a plastic bowl to keep them from moving around as much. I hold them still with salad tongs as I scrape off the leaves and those sneaky spines under the leaves.  I found it easiest to use the grill scraper we had in a bbq kit. You can also scrape them with the blade of a knife - but then you can't use the bowl to control them. 

Next, I rinse off the spines with water and and pour it out over on the cactus. (We try not to waste water since we live in the desert.) 

I found that the spines on the edges of the pad are difficult to scrape off, so I use the salad tongs to hold down the pad while I cut off the end and the sides of the pad. 

Then I cut them into pieces. 

Finally, I rinse off the nopale pieces to get rid of the rest of the spines and to rinse away the slime. Notice that I am doing it outside to keep all the spines out of my kitchen. 

I don't like to waste anything, so I pour the slime water around my potato plants. I hope they like it. 

These pods produce a lot of slime. (Think "Ghost Busters.") They need to be rinsed off several times until most of the slime is gone or you lose patience. 

Then I dice an onion and saute it with the nopales. 

sauteing them produces more slime

You can eat them like that on a tortilla. But we added tomatoes, potatoes and eggs to make a yummy scramble. I microwaved a potato while I was cooking the nopales. When the nopales were cooked (tender and lighter in color) I  removed them from the skillet, added a splash more olive oil, and fried the potatoes. I added the nopales and chopped tomatoes, scooted them to one side of the pan and scrambled 3 eggs on the other side of the pan. Finally, I stirred it all together. 

nopales scramble! Yum! 

Meanwhile, Dan blended some prickly pear syrup, lemon lime seltzer and spiced rum to make a prickly pear cooler to have with our nopales scramble. We enjoyed a yummy brunch on the patio with a lovely view of hummingbirds pollinating our prickly pear blossoms. More fruit to come! 

Now that's what I call stewarding in place! 

Time to Imagine and Create a Better Place

I've been meaning to blog about wildflowers, but got distracted by the Corona Virus and worrying about how will it affect our efforts to make Tucson more sustainable in the face of climate disaster. 

It is disheartening to read about the hoarding of toilet paper and bottled water - because that means more carbon sequestering trees will be cut down and more single-use plastic will end up in our landfills and the ocean. But mostly because it reflects how our consumer society deals with crisis. Instead of pulling together as a community, we are elbowing our neighbor out of the way to grab the last package of toilet paper (making a shortage where there was none.) 

To be more resilient (or even thrive) as climate change progresses, we need to pull our community together and work towards shared goals. Obviously we aren't there yet.  But...what if we think of this first response as a test run that we can learn from?  An opportunity? What if we take advantage of our free time by reading up on sustainable solutions (like rainwater harvesting) or even trying out a more sustainable lifestyle? 

We finally have time for a leisurely walk, smelling the bountiful wildflowers along the way, or to enjoy being outside tending our yards in this lovely weather. We can finally  take precious time with our kids teaching them how to bake bread or grow their own food in a garden.

The other day Dan and I observed where the rain fell in our yard and adjusted our basins and berms to better direct the water to our native trees. We planted some dill and basil in our kitchen garden. Dan even baked some Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's Day.

A while ago I wrote this poem about a joyful way of living and being. At the time I realized many people are so busy just trying to survive that they don't have the time to enjoy these simple pleasures. But there was a time when only one person in the family had to have a job - so what happened? What if we adjusted our priorities?  What if we were all paid a living wage? What if we reconsidered our consumer lifestyle and spent more time in nature?  Just imagine...

Imagine this place…

Where we live in harmony with nature

Landscaping reflecting the natural beauty of the Sonoran desert

Instead of gravel and cement - agave, mesquite, palo verde flourish

Rainwater washes down roof tops to nourish fruit trees and fill aquifers

When we no longer obstruct the flow but go with it

Rivers surrounded by cottonwood and oak

Flow

Imagine this place

Where we live in harmony with others

Nurturing, inspiring the individual gifts everyone has to share

Instead of TV and Youtube - family, neighbors, community connects

Supporting local farmers, artisans, craftsmen, passionate entrepreneurs

When we no longer obstruct the flow but go with it

Talents developed with encouragement and love

Flow

Imagine this place

Where we live in harmony with the dirt

Harvesting nourishing heritage crops for everyone to share

Instead of teaching lack and fear - we teach love, justice, environmental respect

Restoring local rivers, aquifers with berms, water barrels, catchment basins

When we no longer obstruct the flow but go with it

Desert crops sprout in the dirt, roots reaching for the

Flow

Imagine all the time

Time to live in the present, fully alive

To soak in the brilliance of our sunsets during an evening stroll

To feel the wind in your face as you coast down a hill

Time to take in the fragrance of creosote after the rain

To toast the spectacle of monsoon storms with your love

Time to dig in the garden with your children

To settle back and watch things grow

Time to share your harvest at a neighborhood potluck

 To paint, to read, to bake, to sing, to dance, to play…

Imagine floating on your back, you are part of the flow

Imagine this place

More Information: 

Food Security in the Desert

What Kind of Climate Champion are You?

For the love of Tucson: Creating a desert oasis to combat climate change

What the Coronavirus teaches us about Climate Change (COVID-19)

Desert Landscaping: Going Native for Tucson's Rivers

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