Tacos Aren't Just for Tuesdays: Grow Your Own Taco Garden

Let's talk tacos!

This favorite dinner option goes beyond Tuesdays and Cinco de Mayo. It's even better when you fix this dish with homegrown ingredients straight from your garden.

Let's talk about the ingredients and which recipes you'll need them for, followed by recommendations for taco recipes. 

Ingredients

Since this blog is about which ingredients to grow in your raised beds, here are the 11 must-haves for a taco buffet.

You can absolutely find them at the grocery store, but how fun is it to grow your produce at home, pick them, and make a whole event with your family to enjoy together?

Let's jump right into it!

• Cilantro: This aromatic herb is indispensable for salsas and taco presentation.
• Green tomatoes: Specifically for making salsa verde (green salsa) to add that perfect tangy flavor to your tacos.
• Red tomatoes: Essential for making salsa roja (red salsa), as a topping, for pico de gallo, and as a base for cooking some taco proteins.
• Bell peppers: Great for grilling with onions to add colorful and sweet crunch to your fajita tacos.
• Poblano peppers: Traditional for tacos con rajas de chile poblano.
• Corn: Can be added to various taco meat recipes, salads, or enjoyed as corn on the cob, Mexican street style.
• Radish: Adds a crunchy texture to pico de gallo salsas, salads, or as a taco topping.
• Lettuce: Provides a crunchy texture for tacos and offers a salad option for those watching their weight.
• Onions: Makes a good all-purpose ingredient for toppings, salsa and taco fillings, adding depth to your bites.
• Habaneros: Adds an extra kick of heat to tacos.
• Jalapeños: Gives a milder kick of spice to tacos and salads.

For ambitious gardeners, consider planting avocado and lemon trees for a constant supply of two common ingredients in Mexican cuisine. Just imagine, with a sprinkle of salt, you'll have everything you need for guacamole!

Types of tacos

To help you out and give you some easy recipes that you can look up, from a diverse range of flavors and textures, here are some popular types of tacos and the ingredients needed to create them.

• Carne Asada Tacos: Beef thinly sliced and marinated in a mixture of oil, lime juice, and chili powder.
• Minced Meat Tacos: Minced meat seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning and sautéed with onions and garlic.
• Shrimp Tacos: Shrimp sautéed with plenty of garlic, olive oil, butter, and powdered chili.
• Veggie Tacos: Sautéed bell peppers, carrots, onions, poblano peppers, corn, and mushrooms together until they are cooked but a bit crunchy.
• Fish Tacos: Breaded, grilled, or baked fish, usually served with onions, tomatoes, and a special creamy-chipotle sauce.
• Fajitas: Classic fajitas made with chicken, onions, and bell peppers.
• Taco de Rajas con Queso: Roasted poblano peppers combined with melted cheese.
• Veggie Cheese Quesadillas: Vegetarian options provided for guests, allowing them to choose from mushrooms and various veggies of their choice.

Ambience ideas

• Margaritas: Mix up refreshing margaritas with exotic flavors like spicy watermelon, sweet melon or coconut-lime!
• Traditional Mexican music: Set the mood with lively mariachi tunes or other traditional Mexican melodies.
• Appetizers: Start your party off right with street-style corn on the cob, charro beans, yellow rice, chile con queso, and refried beans.
• Taco bar: Create a vibrant DIY taco bar featuring a variety of fillings such as carne asada, shrimp, fish, beef, pork or veggie options. Offer flour, corn, or hard shell tortillas, and consider adding a tortilla press for burrito options!
• Taco toppings bar: Offer an array of toppings including sour cream, radishes, chives, lemon wedges, raw onion, cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, and habaneros.
• Salsa bar: Spice things up with a selection of salsas like pico de gallo, red salsa, green salsa, habanero toreado, and spicy pickled purple onions. Don't forget to include tortilla chips for snacking!
• Family involvement: Get everyone involved in the kitchen, from harvesting the ingredients to preparing and assembling tacos together. What a fantastic way to bond and create lasting memories!
• Mexican decor: Add festive flair to your space with colofrul tissue paper flowers, cut out tissue paper banners and decorations in the colors of the Mexican flag—red, white, and green.
• Game night: Plan some games like Lotería (Mexican Bingo), musical chairs, Peso toss, piñata for the kids, or even "pin the tail on the donkey"!

Final thoughts

By growing your own ingredients, gathering your loved ones and sharing a homemade meal, you can truly embrace the spirit of taco night, no matter what day of the week!