For Day of the Dead, a Calabacita Squash Family Recipe From the Garden

The Day of the Dead altar decorations and celebration — with family-favorite dishes like these calabacitas Mexicana — happened spontaneously, delighting and surprising José Germán-Gómez. This community activist is the founder of the New Jersey-based Northeast Earth Coalition, working to protect the environment and promote local sustainability and food security. His mission, vision and daily work is all about championing urban farming projects, community vegetable gardens and backyard food production.

José, who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in New Jersey, especially loves to work the land with Latinx groups. One of his favorites is a close-knit community of Mexican women who have been tending a community garden with him for seven years. José loves to show them how the jardín skills they use were pioneered by indigenous people across Latin America and the Caribbean. Many of the very same vegetables, fruits and herbs they grow today were also harvested by their forefathers and foremothers—who likely placed them on their own Day of the Dead altars.

”We garden with a lot of Mexican ancestral techniques. We start from seeds, many of which they bring with them or family members send from Mexico,” says José. “I have noticed that they feel a strong passion to grow herbs they use for medicine.” Herbs like papalo, which they use to help reduce swelling and heal stomach disorders. With a strong flavor that tastes something like cilantro, their fresh papalo also makes its way into their tacos, tamales and enchiladas, he says.

A Day of The Dead Celebration in the Garden

The Mexican women came together during harvest one fall day some years back to create a beautiful Day of the Dead altar and ceremony that José will never forget. ”It happened very naturally. There was no plan,” he marvels.

”The women started putting things on the table. In a matter of seconds, the table was transformed into an altar. The table has three levels on it: heaven, earth, and purgatory. And everything they did to create it made beautiful sense, without them having a plan or even communicating while they were putting it together,” José says.

”It was natural and spontaneous. It was their lived experience. They brought pan de muerto. Sugar skulls. They brought tamales. Chilaquiles. We burned a special incense. We were also honoring the community gardens at the end of the harvest so they placed  a photo of Zapata on top of the altar, because he was a fighter for social and agricultural justice in Mexico. We had photos of loved ones, including my mother, who are departed. They sang songs spontaneously, all traditional and again, no planning. It just happened,” says Jose, still moved. ”There were so many beautiful paper flowers, and then we had storytelling.”

One of the traditional offerings served that Day of the Dead was a Mexican squash dish called calabacitas Mexicana. The plato was made by one of the gardeners, Elizabeth Valderrama, who is from Poza Rica, Veracruz, with fresh Mexican squash pulled from their community plot.

These calabacitas are a family recipe that Elizabeth learned from her grandmother and mother, Jose says. She told him that offering this dish makes her feel “connected to her past when she was living in Mexico and growing up, sharing time with her grandmother. Every time that she cooks the recipe reminds her of the old days. She honors all the loved ones who have departed already.”

Here is Elizabeth’s calabacitas Mexicana family-famous recipe, specially made as an ofrenda for the Northeast Earth Coalition’s Day of the Dead harvest celebration, in honor of her much-missed, much-loved mama and abuelita—in this life and the next.

Ready to Make Elizabeth’s Calabacitas for Day of the Dead?

For Day of the Dead, a Calabacitas Squash Family Recipe From the Garden

Recipe by Elizabeth Valderrama

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Mexicana

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/4 white onion, finely diced

• 1 jalapeño, minced, deseeded for less heat

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 4 medium calabacitas (small green Mexican squash), diced

• 1 tomato, large, (called jitomate in Mexico), finely diced

• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

• 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste

• 1/4 cup cilantro or epazote, minced (optional)

• 1/4 cup hebra or Oaxaca cheese or crispy chicharrones (optional)

Directions

• In a large and deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the onion and jalapeño. Cover the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, covered.
• Add the diced calabacita squash, tomato, salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chopped cilantro or epazote if using.
• Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed.
• Add hebra or Oaxaca cheese or crispy chicharrones before serving.
• Serve—perhaps as a special ofrenda on Dia de Muerto for a loved one.

Notes

• You can substitute regular green zucchini if you can’t find Mexican calabacita or summer squash at a Latino grocery market.