The Back Page : MENU PLANNER : Paddle Pleasers

It must have happened 40 years ago, but I still remember it vividly. My family and I went to a picnic on the slopes of Popocatepetl, on the outskirts of Mexico City. We were to meet with other families at the marketplace in Amecameca just a few miles from the picnic site. There we ran into a marchanta who was selling the nopalitos navegantes .

As we were gathering, everybody ordered a taco of this salad made from cactus paddles. But I was hesitant. Sometimes nopalitos exude a slimy substance that is not very appealing. I did try them, though, and the flavor and the consistency were perfect. The tomato, cilantro, cheese and onion mixture wrapped in a tortilla tasted fantastic.

Last week, our friend Dona Maria brought my wife and me a few nopal cactus paddles from her yard as a gift. Looking at them, I remembered those childhood tacos under the volcano. My mother-in-law was coming from Cuernavaca to be at our son’s graduation from college, and her arrival always calls for adventures in gourmet cooking.

My wife, Juana, agreed to serve as judge for a try-out recipe as long as I could do the nopalitos sans slimy stuff. The key was to innovate while improving the nopalitos navegantes . I settled on what I’m calling nopalitos marineros , a twist that uses the cactus paddles as a base for a kind of shrimp salad.

To accompany the nopalitos I needed some sort of meat for contrast, something that would keep the Mexican flavor of the menu and could be served on the same plate. That was how the thin-cut pork chops came into the picture. I prepared them in a simple fashion with a salsa to moisten them.

For dessert, a change of taste was needed. Berries, with a touch of cream sweetened with Chinchon (a Spanish sweet anisette), provided a soothing ending.

I must report that my mother-in-law gave her nod of approval after tasting my menu, and on her very first day back home in Cuernavaca, she tried it herself. According to her telephone call, American-grown nopal cactus paddles are much more vigorous and firmer than their Mexican counterparts. But as far as the flavor was concerned, she thought it was a tossup.

MENU Nopalitos Marineros Pork Chops with Salsa Picante Assorted Berries in Cream and Chinchon Suggested Beverages: Tequila and Mexican beer

GAME PLAN Morning of dinner: Cook, shell and devein shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to use. Prepare Salsa Picante. Refrigerate until ready to use. 1 hour before dinner: Cook nopales and assemble Nopalitos Marineros. Prepare mixed berries and Chinchon-flavored cream. Keep separate. 10 minutes before dinner: Cook pork chops and assemble plates with Nopalitos Marineros and pork chops with Salsa Picante. After entree: Combine berries and Chinchon cream and serve.

STAPLES Lemon Salt, pepper 3 tomatoes 2 onions Olive oil Garlic

SHOPPING LIST 8 large shrimp, in shells 2 large nopal cactus paddles, big enough to cut 2 (4-inch) circles from each Cotija cheese 1 bunch cilantro 4 serrano chiles 8 thin-cut pork chops 1/2 pint strawberries 1/2 pint blueberries 1/2 pint raspberries 1 small container Mexican cream Chinchon dulce, or other anise-flavored liqueur

NOPALITOS MARINEROS 8 large shrimp, in shells 2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt Freshly ground pepper 2 large nopal cactus paddles, big enough to cut 2 (4-inch) circles from each, thorns removed Olive oil 4 slices tomato 4 slices onion 1/4 cup cotija cheese Cilantro In any Mexican market you can buy firm, bright-green, unwrinkled nopal cactus paddles. Most likely you’ll buy them cleaned. If not, remove the thorns yourself. Wearing thick gloves, use a sharp knife to shave off the thorns hidden in the small irregular bumps. Also make sure you remove the base of the joint, which is thick and fibrous. Combine shrimp with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste in oven-proof bowl. Seal bowl with foil and bake at 325 degrees about 15 to 20 minutes. Let shrimp cool. Shell and devein shrimp. Set aside. Brush nopal paddles lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste and grill on hot grill or griddle until golden, making sure paddles remain firm. Cut paddles to form 4 circles about 4 inches in diameter. On top of each paddle place 1 tomato slice, then 1 onion slice and 2 shrimps facing each other. Sprinkle center with cotija cheese and little olive oil and crown with cilantro. Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains about: 134 calories; 331 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.17 grams fiber.

PORK CHOPS WITH SALSA PICANTE SALSA PICANTE 2 medium tomatoes 1/4 medium onion 4 medium serrano chiles 2 small cloves garlic 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped Salt 1 tablespoon olive oil PORK CHOPS 8 thin-cut pork chops Salt Freshly ground pepper 2 cups Salsa Picante SALSA PICANTE Place tomatoes on hot comal or griddle over medium flame, along with onion, chiles and garlic. Turn from time to time. Remove when toasted, 2 to 3 minutes for everything but tomatoes, which take about 5 minutes. Peel tomatoes and combine with onion, chiles, garlic and cilantro in food processor or blender. Turn on processor or blender and mix while pouring olive oil in steady stream through opening on top. Add salt to taste. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. PORK CHOPS Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. Grill or cook on hot griddle until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Place chops on serving plate or individual plates and cover with 1/4 cup Salsa Picante. Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains about: 305 calories; 129 mg sodium; 65 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 0.22 gram fiber.

ASSORTED BERRIES WITH CHINCHON 1 cup strawberries, hulled 1 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries 1 cup Mexican cream 3 tablespoons Chinchon dulce Cut strawberries into small pieces and combine with blueberries and raspberries in large bowl. Mix cream with Chinchon in small bowl. Mix berries with cream. Serve in large wine glasses. Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains about: 278 calories; 25 mg sodium; 82 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.59 grams fiber.