Global Plates: The People We Meet, The Food They Eat
Who: Lilia Peralta and Alberto “Lalo” Higuera
Food item: Fresh fava beans
Where: La Purisima, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Visit: Cabañas La Purísima
Lilia Peralta’s fiery red hair and pink lipstick hint at her lively and playful personality. She comes across as timid at first, but perhaps that is simply a result of the language barrier since she only speaks Spanish, and I only speak English, save the few words I’ve learned through an app before the trip.
Still, her nervous structure falls away once the translator arrives – her easy smile appears, and her hands gesture emphatically as she tells me about her family history, the acreage she and her husband Alberto “Lalo” Higuera own in a desert oasis that she calls “paradise,” and especially the food she grows and creates using cherished recipes passed down for generations.
The couple lives in the small town of La Purisima, located on the Baja California Sur peninsula only 10 miles from the ocean, but one must travel many miles through the desert to get there.
There are two roads to take when driving to La Purisima from Loreto, Baja California Sur. What looks like – and is – the shorter route at 120 km (about 75 miles) heading north along Federal Hwy 1, compared to 237 km driving south from Loreto, is deceptive in the simplicity of numbers. This shortcut takes the driver across the Sierra de la Giganta, a mountain range that extends 930 miles through the southeastern Baja California Peninsula, rising to its highest point at 3,858 feet near Loreto.
Photo caption: Our group stops for a break during the drive to La Purisima. Photo credit: Victor Omart
La Purisima is located in a desert oasis, a miracle of ecology that brings water, the source of life, to an area. The lush greenery, wildlife, and orchards delight the senses, especially in contrast to the dearth of the desert. The water has come down from the mountains and through underground springs, pools in an area causing green growth, and the source of life – agua – for growing plants and caring for animals.
If you stop at an overlook during the long drive across the desert, you’ll see El Pilón in the distance, a non-active volcano and land marker that stands tall as a guardian above the pool of water that looks so out of place in the arid environment.
The couple’s lush green 50 acres include a ranch, gardens, waterbeds for kayaking, orchards filled with pomegranate, dates, guava, mango, papaya, citrus, and more, a winery, livestock, and cabanas they built themselves in order to share this piece of paradise with guests.
As if this all wasn’t enough for this active couple in their mid-70s, they also make wine and vinegar. Each December, the community gathers for a celebration to make and bottle sweet wine similar to a port. The equipment they use is antique and Lalo says the only wine still made with this ancient technique in the Americas.
Photo caption: Lalo shows the author his wine-making equipment. Photo credit: Jill Dutton
Lalo is a handsome and rugged jokester. Baseball is a passion – he says he could have gone pro himself at one time – and he wears an LA Dodgers baseball cap as he extolls the wonders of his favorite team. We bridge the language barrier with him teaching me sayings in Spanish, then slapping his hands on his legs and laughing uproariously when I repeat it. I never quite understood the exact translation of the racy saying he taught me, but every time I saw him during our visit he would call out to me with it, then laugh as I replied in same.
I liked him instantly.
Dinner is served under a covered shelter outdoors. It’s dark, but lamps light the space so we can watch the tortillas being grilled over an open fire. There’s pork marinated with five kinds of chiles, fresh oregano, and Don Modesto grape vinegar, plus refried beans, goat cheese, and different sauces, everything sourced from their land. I load my plate with two tacos and beans and the soft pliant goat cheese but go back for more of the moist and chewy tortillas. I slather it with butter and eat it plain. We’re served one of their sweet wines, and it’s a rustic and relaxing meal.
Photo caption: Kayaking with El Pilón in the background. Photo credit: Victor Omart
For breakfast, Lilia is waiting for us after a morning kayak on the lagoon. A table under the canopy is lined with chilaquiles, refried beans, fresh corn and flour tortillas, goat cheese, scrambled eggs, chorizo with pineapple, pulled beef, and a variety of sauces. There’s also freshly squeezed juice and a thick, syrupy coffee called Café de Talega that’s made in an iron pot using a canvas filter. It is a feast, and after a morning spent kayaking on the water, we devour it with relish.
Photo caption: Lilia prepares Café de Talega. Talega is a traditional method of coffee preparation passed down through generations. Photo credit: Jill Dutton
Photo caption: Fresh tortillas and goat cheese at every meal. Photo credit: Jill Dutton
In La Purisima, we found a true desert escape, an off-the-beaten-path destination where a gregarious couple shares their culture and history with hand-built cabanas, authentic Mexican cooking, and outdoor activities in a place that is truly paradise.
Photo caption: Jill looks out from the window of her cabana. Photo credit: Jill Dutton
Beans and Peas
Broad beans, also known as fava beans, are a type of legume that has been cultivated for thousands of years and are a staple food in many cultures around the world, including Mexico. In Mexico, they are an important part of the diet, especially in rural areas where they are grown and consumed as a source of protein and nutrients. They are often used in traditional dishes such as “frijoles puercos,” which is a pork and bean stew, and “favitas,” a dish made of broad beans served with corn tortillas. Broad beans are also commonly used as an ingredient in soups and stews and are often enjoyed as a snack. The cultural significance of broad beans in Mexico extends beyond just food, as they have been used in traditional medicine for their many health benefits, such as their ability to aid digestion and reduce inflammation.
Lilia’s family recipe for Fresh Beans with Peas tastes similar to hummus or refried beans and is made with vegetables and aromatics from her garden, while in season. It’s delicious spread on a warm tortilla and topped with Lilia’s homemade goat cheese.
Lilia says, “This dish is an ancestral traditional recipe native to the PURÍSMEÑAS families, that we keep and enjoy year after year.”
Photo caption: Lilia teaches the author to make Fresh Beans with Peas. Photo credit: Jill Dutton
FRESH BEANS WITH PEAS
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 kilos (approximately 4.5 lbs.) of fresh broad beans, also called fava beans (in pods)
1 kilo (approximately 2 lbs.) of fresh peas (in the pod)
1 green chile, chopped
1 fresh head of garlic with tail, chopped
1 fresh onion with tail, chopped
fresh coriander
200 grams (7 ounces) of lard (or butter)
Coarse sea salt to taste
1/2 liter (a little over 2 cups) of water
Preparation:
Open the broad beans and peas, remove them from the pods, then wash them. Add to a pot with the water.
Cover the pot to prevent the steam from escaping, then place on the fire to simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or until tender.
Melt the butter or lard in a large skillet, then sauté the green chile, garlic, onion, and the chopped tails from the onion and garlic until softened. Toss together with the beans and peas, coriander, and salt.
Once cooked, use a bean grinder or food processor to mash the mixture into a paste.
Serve with fresh goat cheese (or other soft cheese) and flour tortillas.
Listen to Jill’s podcast episode about Baja California Sur below.
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