With Love From Tulum: Gorgeous Veggies from Hartwood Tulum

we've barely taken off our ugly Christmas sweaters and winter is still very much here, but that's not keeping us from fantasizing about being in a warm tropical paradise and planning our next getaway. Tulum is one of those magical places that makes us wish we could just pick up our lives, throw on a coconut bra, and stay forever. Hartwood restaurant, nestled on the shore of the Caribbean Sea in Tulum, is one such place that romanticizes living in the best way possible. Owners, Eric Werner and Mya Henry, have rooted themselves in a world of local produce and ingredients, sustainable practices and open wood-fire cooking. While the recipes aren't complex or complicated, the flavors are, and whether dining in or creating recipes from their new cookbook, their food transports us to another world. We're daydreaming of Tulum with each page of the new book, filled with useful recipes. This inventive roasted beet and avocado-habanero crema recipe is so much more than it seems and worth the effort. Here are Eric and Mya... We keep stalks of sugarcane in a galvanized bucket on the table in front of the wood-burning stove, using them to flavor a roast the way other restaurants might use a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary. We split open a piece and throw it into the pan to highlight whatever natural sweetness will be brought out by the fire. When we get a delivery of sugarcane, we hack the long stalks in 2-foot pieces with a machete; you might be able to find smaller pieces in a Mexican grocery or even at Whole Foods. Our version of a finishing salt, the chile lime salt brings a note of intrigue to any dish. It’s simple to make: Toast dried árbol chiles in a cast-iron pan, pulverize them in a spice grinder, and mix in lime zest and salt. That’s it. The smoky, spicy, tangy salt is just the right flourish for grilled fish, but you can use it in or on just about any dish. We sprinkle it over the odd-shaped pieces left over when we make jicama salad, or you could use it on radishes or eggs.

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