Nopales

Nopales is the Spanish word for prickly pear cactus pads, which can be harvested wild in some of the Arizona and New Mexico areas where we hunt various desert quail species and, among my favorite of all quails, scaled quail.   It is also available in most Mexican foods markets.  Look for hand-sized young paddles and grab them with gloves and slicing off with a long knife from the joint above the main plant.  Cut off an inch at the base of the pad and discard.  Scrub with a kitchen scouring pad to dislodge needles.  Cut length wise about five times to make it look something like a glove, leaving the base portion intact.  Coat with olive oil and grill a few minutes each side.

We recently read of a Colorado restaurant that is serving them tempura fried, which we are anxious to try with a house adobo, ranch sauce.