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**RECIPE, SUCH AS IT IS**

nopales (figure 1 paddle makes 1-2 tacos)
soy sauce
citrus (I used a lemon and a lime for maybe 2 lb nopales)
honey
mild, fresh chilies, ideally in pretty colors
garlic
onion, ideally a sweet variety
fresh cilantro or other herb for garnish
fresh ripe avocado (enough for each taco to get a slice)
spices
oil
tortillas

Nopales are the tender spring growth of paddles on a prickly pear cactus — they'll grow at the tips of the stems and you'll recognize them by their lighter color and big, floppy spikes. The big spikes won't hurt you, but the tiny hairs (glochids) will lodge in your skin and hurt. If your paddles haven't been pre-cleaned, handle them with tongs until you get them scraped and washed.

Use the edge of your knife to scrape all the thorns and tiny hairs off of both sides of each paddle — scrape thoroughly to dislodge any lingering glochids. Trim off the edge all the way around paddle. Wash and drain them thoroughly to get rid of the glochids.

Marinate the paddles in some citrus juice, fresh chopped garlic, soy sauce, spices and olive oil. Leave them there as long as you can, but 20 minutes would help.

While you wait you can mince up your chilies, onion and cilantro for garnish. The avocado I try to slice right before I assemble the taco.

Heat your grill (or a pan with a little oil in it) until very hot. Take the nopales out of the marinade and get them cooking on their first side. Flip them when you get some color on them, and continue to cook until the paddles are very floppy.

Boil the reserved marinade to reduce into a thick, salty sauce you can toss into the nopales later or drizzle over the tacos.

Toast your tortillas at the last minute now, if you desire.

Slice the nopales into strips and consider tossing the reduced sauce through them. Assemble the tacos with nopales, some minced fresh onion and chilies, a slice of avocado, cilantro and maybe that salty sauce on top.