Breakfast burritos have become so common and so mediocre it’s easy to forget what they’re supposed to be. So many of these ubiquitous huge morning wraps are overstuffed with the cheapest ingredients, potatoes and onions, and are prepared hours or days earlier, wrapped in foil and reheated. The tortillas are steamed to a tasteless point with insides that are rubbery and crumbly. They’re cheap, and taste that way.
At Longmont’s Blue Corn Tacos, 1515 Main St., they do the simple things that make for a finer breakfast burrito. First, cracked eggs are griddle-cooked to order. For my burrito, cheese, steak, potato, onions, and jalapenos were added. That soft, creamy mixture tucked inside a fresh warm flour tortilla is not gigantic, but completely satisfying with smooth green salsa hot enough to add some zip.
While in Longmont I had to stop at one of my happy places, Tortillas de la Frontera, 1630 Main St. On Saturday mornings, a big busy crew cranks out thousands of fresh corn and flour tortillas resulting in an incredible toasted corn aroma. There is no comparison between packaged corn tortillas and the ones these folks’ package—they are warm, moist and soft. They can be warmed in a dry skillet for tacos or toasted to create chips.
What to do with too many apples
Since 2021 is such a fine year for local apples, try sampling varieties that have a wider range of flavors, textures and uses at the Boulder Farmers Market and farm stands like Longmont’s Ya Ya Farm & Orchard where Jonathan, Macintosh, Cortland, Liberty, and Chestnut Crab apples are available.
Feel free to substitute other tart or sweet apple varieties in this recipe from chef Chris Royster of Boulder’s Flagstaff House Restaurant.
Bourbon Fried Apples
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 Honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick butter
2 to 3 ounces bourbon
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional: 4 tablespoons brown sugar
Apples can be peeled or unpeeled. Melt butter in a heavy pan. Add apples, spices, salt and optional brown sugar. Saute the apples for about 15 minutes over medium heat, or until apples are softened. In the pan, add bourbon and flambe. Continue cooking over low heat until liquid is reduced and glazes the apples. Dish over vanilla bean gelato, pound cake, or serve with a soft, ripe cheese.
Culinary calendar
If you only take one cooking class this year, make it about knife skills. Learning to slice and chop vastly upgrades your ability to prepare food quickly, safely, and cheaply. The two-hour Knife Skills session October 2 at Sur La Table in Boulder features lots of hands-on practice and tips on sharpening. Register: surlatable.com . . . Once again, the 25th annual Lafayette Oatmeal Festival has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Send information about local food events and festivals to: [email protected]
