The Galveston County Daily News

Not many gardeners plant cactus in their vegetable gardens, but cactuses are key ingredients in a wide variety of recipes. Everything from salads to desserts gets a Southwestern flavor from the stems, juice and fruit of common cactuses.

The agave cactus accounts for the largest production of edible, or rather drinkable, cactus, as the juice is fermented into tequila. A small but growing amount of agave cactuses are used to make agave syrup, which is billed as a healthier, less processed alternative to sugar.

Like maple or corn syrup, agave syrup comes in grades ranging from light to amber to dark. Unlike maple syrup or honey, however, agave syrup has little taste of its own other than sweetness, making it a better substitute in many baked goods.

Because agave syrup is almost 90 percent fructose, it has a low glycemic index and is recommended in many diets as a better sweetener for tea, cereal and other foods that are frequently sprinkled with sugar. Dieters also combine a bit of agave with sugar substitutes, such as Splenda, to counteract the aftertaste of the artificial sweeteners.

Prickly pear cactus, the paddle-leafed variety that grows wild throughout dry areas of Galveston County, turns up in many Mexican, TexMex and Central American dishes.

North American cooks have adopted it in recent years, spurred in part by the American Heart Association’s research into prickly pear’s possible role in controlling blood cholesterol, as well as by the “eat local” movement.

Both the leaves, known as nopales, and the purple fruit that give the plant the name of prickly pear are eaten widely and are available in grocery stores and ethnic markets (or, if you have sturdy gloves and a sharp knife, all around here).

Nopales are available year-round, sold both as big leaves stripped of their needles or pre-cut into smaller pieces for salads and vegetable dishes.

While they can be eaten raw, most cooks blanch them in acidic water (generally, with the addition of vinegar) to remove the excess syrup that can give them an okra-like stickiness. The San Antonio restaurant La Fonda on Main combines nopales with green beans for a tangy twist on the more traditional marinated green bean salad.

The prickly pears, or tunas in Spanish, are seasonal, and are available now through the end of summer. The fruit is soft and bruises easily, so they may be harder to find, but are worth seeking out for the vivid color they add to drinks and desserts.

Ripe prickly pears are a dusky pink-purple on the outside, and the fruit inside is an intense fuchsia. The color is as strong as their taste is subtle, making them a perfect pairing with lemon, as in prickly pear lemon bars or lemonade.

The small seeds inside prickly pears are edible, but their gritty texture isn’t always a plus; most recipes call for straining puréed prickly pears to remove the seeds.

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Prickly Pear Margarita

1/2 cup crushed ice 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 ounce undiluted frozen limeade 2 ounces Tequila 1 1/2 ounces triple sec 1 ounce prickly pear cactus juice 1 tablespoon agave syrup Lime wedges for garnish

In a blender, add crushed ice, lime juice, Tequila, triple sec, prickly pear juice, and agave syrup; cover and mix ingredients. Correct with additional syrup if it is too tart.

Pour into salt-rimmed margarita glasses, garnish with a lime wedge, and serve immediately.

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Prickly pear lemon bars

Cookie base 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans 1/4 cup butter, softened

Topping 2/3 cup sugar 2 large egg whites 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 3 tablespoons prickly pear juice (see directions below) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

Mix flour, sugar, pecans and butter until crumbly.

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray or butter and press the mixture evenly on the bottom of the dish.

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

Beat all topping ingredients except powdered sugar. Mixture will be thin.

Pour over hot crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until topping is set.

Allow to cool before cutting.

If you’d like, top the bars with powered sugar.

Note: To make prickly pear juice, peel two to three prickly pears and purée in food processor or blender. Strain to remove seeds. Any leftover juice can be added to lemonade or fruit juice

— Recipe courtesy of Stefani Pollack and The Cupcake Project

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Nopalito Salad 1 pound fresh nopalitos, cut into 1/2-inch strips (preferred) or 1 (30-ounce) jar nopalitos, drained and rinsed 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 cup diced tomatoes 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion 1-2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (see note) 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped loosely 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup coarsely grated queso fresco

If using fresh nopalitos, cook in boiling salted water with ½ cup white vinegar added, until nopal cactus strips are tender, about 2-4 minutes. Drain, rinse well in cold water and chill.

Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 3-4 minutes, or until done to desired degree of doneness. Drain and chill. In large bowl, combine nopalitos, green beans, tomatoes, onion, chiles and cilantro.

Combine garlic, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper in small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until mixture is emulsified.

Toss nopalitos salad with vinaigrette until well-coated. Top salad with grated queso fresco. Serves six to eight.

— Recipe courtesy of La Fonda on Main Restaurant, San Antonio

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Cornmeal Cake With Rosemary Syrup And Blackberries

1/2 cup butter, unsalted, softened, (1 stick) 1 cup sugar 1 cup yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 2/3 cup milk 1 cup agave nectar, light 1/2 cup corn syrup, white 1/3 cup rosemary leaves, fresh, no stems, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Mascarpone cheese (optional) 1 pint fresh berries

Combine the agave nectar, lemon juice and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the rosemary and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let stand, covered, for 20 minutes. Cool the syrup completely; strain.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, egg yolk and milk and beat on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes or until the mixture is pale yellow.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and place right side up on a rack set over a baking sheet.

Brush the warm cake with 1/3 cup syrup and allow the syrup to soak in. Repeat the process. Reserve any excess syrup.

Cut the cake into wedges.

Serve with a spoonful of mascarpone and top with blackberries. Drizzle some of the reserved syrup onto the cake or pool it on the plate. Serves eight.

— Recipe from Central Market