Teaching and learning are cornerstones in our Jewish tradition. These past few weeks I’ve been teaching and coaching the incoming kitchen staff at Camp Tawonga.

Fish tacos are a new addition to our menu this year. Children like to build their own dishes, and providing everything a la carte allows each diner to create a taco exactly to their specifications. Given the large number of vegans (people who choose not to eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs and honey), we’ve also added a Caribbean dish of garbanzo beans cooked in coconut milk, that we call Nigel’s Special.

Fish Tacos | Serves 8

12 corn tortillas, wrapped in foil and heated 20 minutes in a moderate oven
3 lbs. frozen battered cod or halibut fillets, cooked according to package directions
Cabbage Salad
Crema
2 cans cooked black beans, heated with 1 clove garlic
4 Tbs. chopped cilantro
Avocado and Corn Salsa

Arrange everything in serving bowls on the table, and allow each diner to build his or her own.

Cabbage Salad | Serves 8

1 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. mustard
3 Tbs. chopped flat leaf
parsley
1 Tbs. fine sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 small onion shredded

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrots and onion and mix well. Serve.

Crema | Makes about 1 cup

1 cup sour cream
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. chopped cilantro

Whisk together all ingredients. Serve.

Avocado and Corn Salsa | Makes about 2 cups

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 Tbs. fine sea salt
1 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeño

Gently mix together all ingredients. Allow to sit for 1 hour before serving.

Nigel’s Special | Serves 8

4 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbs. cumin seed
4 cups canned garbanzos
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
4 Tbs. lemon juice

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the onion, celery and cumin seed, and sauté until fragrant. Add the garbanzo beans with their juice and stir well.

Add in the coconut milk and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, until the beans are quite soft and begin to lose their skins, adding more water if necessary.

Stir in the hot sauce and lemon juice. Serve with steamed rice.

Rebecca Ets-Hokin is a Bay Area cooking teacher and food professional. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to[email protected] .