Vegetables Squash + Gourds Summer Squash with Poblano, Queso Fresco, and Epazote Be the first to rate & review! Epazote is a leafy herb with a pungent, bright flavor, with notes of citrus, mint, and oregano. It lends a savory depth to the summer squash, and pairs particularly well with dairy. Leaving the queso fresco in larger chunks allows it to soften slightly, but not completely melt into the dish. By Traci Des Jardins Traci Des Jardins F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Restaurants: Jardinière, Mijita Cocina Mexicana (San Francisco) Recipe you’re most famous for? Scallops with truffle mashed potatoes. I think it’s something rather dated, but people love that dish. What was the first dish you ever cooked by yourself? I started baking when I was like three, with my mom. So the first thing I made was chocolate chip cookies. I grew up in a rural town in the Central Valley, and I got very bored in high school, so by that time I took up cooking as a hobby. We had subscriptions to all the food magazines and I would drive 45 minutes to Fresno to get ingredients, and that’s when I got really interested in cooking. Who is your food mentor? Joachim Splichal. I started working for him when I was 17. I think the lessons were really the basic tenets of executing great food—flavor balance, seasoning, taste, taste, taste. Favorite cookbook of all time? I think the cookbook that I’ve used my whole life that I still use is probably the Joy of Cooking. There’s a reference point for almost everything in there. And it’s encyclopedic. I still pull it out once in a while and check, how long do you cook an 18-pound turkey? Is there a culinary skill you wish you were better at? If I had to do it all over again, restart my career, I probably would have studied Japanese food rather than French. What is the best-bang-for-the-buck ingredient? Good olive oil, you get a lot of mileage out of that. What is your current food obsession? Tacos. I’ve been kind of a traditionalist when it comes to Mexican food, but now I’m thinking maybe I should expand my horizons. You have to start with a good tortilla and balance crunch, acid, salt. The best one I’ve had recently I made at home: duck and black mole with duck cracklings. That was pretty amazing. Favorite souvenir? When I was in Paris years ago I got this crazy thing that was probably a spice holder. It’s a wooden structure with six little drawers at the top and six larger drawers below it. The drawers are made out of glass with a handle on it, and a pour at the end. It’s just totally amazing. I use it for salts and I’m always terrified I’m going to break one of the glass inserts because I would never be able to replace it. If you were facing an emergency and could only take one backpack of supplies, what would you bring? Coffee beans and a coffeemaker. It’s pretty important for me to have a great cup of coffee to start every day; I would be greatly hindered by not having that. How do you make coffee at home? I have a collection of espresso machines. La Pavoni is my first love, and I have a machine that I’ve actually had since I was 16. I keep it in shape, it’s my baby. It’s sort of my backup one if another one has to be repaired. I also have a subscription to Craft Coffee, and they send me three different coffees every month. I love the variety, and you get to check out new roasters from across the country. Favorite snack? Salsa and chips are my downfall to fitness. Really good chips—there’s nothing better. I have to keep them away from me. Hidden talent? Skiing. I probably ski about 20-30 days a year, which is a lot if you don’t live in the mountains.1995 Best New Chef Bio Won Best New Chef at: Rubicon, San Francisco Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 31, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Aubrie Pick Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 6 to 8 Ingredients 2 medium-size fresh poblano chiles 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges and separated into petals 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 (2 1/2-ounces) bunch fresh epazote, leaves separated from stems and stems tied together 1 1/4 pounds summer squash, cut into 11/2-inch pieces (about 5 cups) 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 6 squash blossoms, stems and stamen removed and discarded, blossoms torn into large pieces 5 ounces queso fresco, broken into large pieces (about 1 cup) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Directions Preheat broiler with oven rack in middle of oven. Place poblanos on a baking sheet, and broil, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer poblanos to a medium bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam 15 minutes. Peel and discard skin from poblanos. Remove and discard stems and seeds. Cut poblanos into 2- x 1/2-inch strips, and set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion, garlic, and tied epazote stems; cook, stirring often, until onion is just starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Remove and discard epazote stems. Add squash and salt; increase heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in poblano strips, squash blossom pieces, and 1/4 cup loosely packed epazote leaves. (Reserve remaining epazote leaves for another use.) Sprinkle with queso fresco. Cover and cook over medium until cheese is just beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a serving platter. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately. Notes Epazote can be purchased from Latin markets. Suggested Pairing Herbal, tart New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Dog Point Vineyard. Rate it Print