The Cactus

The other day when Cathryn bought vegetables from Roberto and Alsonso, they convinced her to purchase a Pear Cactus and provided instructions for preparing it as a vegetable dish. The cactus “leaves” come already cleaned of their thorns and are to be diced and sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and garlic, then seasoned with oregano and salt. Cathryn felt somewhat less adventurous regarding the cactus, so tonight diced up several leaves and added them to our chicken curry instead. They didn’t have a strong flavor, or objectionable texture, and seemed to have a similar affect as if green peppers had been added instead. Maybe next time we’ll try it in the more traditional Mexican manner, and some remains in the bag so we’ll have the opportunity.