Farm-to-taco is the concept of Chaia, the restaurant run by chefs and close friends Suzanne Simon & Bettina Stern, who began their business as a farmers' market stall and still maintain a uniquely close relationship with growers at their brick-and-mortar restaurant, where the veggie tacos are famous and several wines flow on tap.

Shop: Pop-In@Nordstrom Eats

Which culinary specialty from your region do you love the most? What's another one that you think most outsiders don't know about?
Simon: We have some of the best Ethiopian restaurants (including Dukem, Etete and Das), which most outsiders don't realize.
Stern: Maryland blue crab is a delicacy from the treasured Chesapeake Bay. The two best ways to enjoy it are piled high on a newspaper-lined outdoor picnic table or in a classic crab cake! A less familiar seafood treat is the American shad (the largest member of the herring family), which fed our country's founders. Shad spends most of its life in the Atlantic Ocean but swims up fresh rivers to spawn. It is a sight to see as they hop along the surface of the Potomac River just a couple of miles from our shop. It is a delicate and very delicious fish, which I pan-fry or broil with butter and then simply season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

What's your single favorite vegetable?
Simon: Eggplant.
Stern: Eggplant.

Please detail for us the best meal you've ever had and what you loved about it.
Simon: Thai food at Little Serow. All of it. It's always so delicious, and I love the simplicity of the space and the food: perfectly balanced flavors, cold beer and a changing menu. The best!
Stern: One of my favorite meals was here in DC back in January 2012. Little Serow had recently opened, and I caught a glimpse of Tom Sietsema's Washington Post review before it hit the newsstands. My eldest son was home for a visit from college, and I knew I had the perfect dining partner to go check out this new restaurant. With a "no reservations" policy, we gave them our cell numbers and walked around the neighborhood on an unseasonably warm evening before we returned to sip awhile on delicious beer in the underground and very teeny entryway. Once seated, it was true dinner theater: servers were charming, speakers played loud bluegrass music, and the marvelous Thai food came out in seven courses, family-style. Truly a memorable evening.

And now it's time for the recipe...

These earthy-tasting mushrooms are made with a mix of sautéed wild and cultivated mushrooms, depending on what is in season. The Xilli chipotles adobados add a spicy richness to the finish.

5 cloves garlic, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups wild mushrooms, sliced (try shiitake, hedgehog, hen-of-the-woods, chanterelle, porcini ... or simply white button)
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Xilli chipotles adobados
⅔ cup Greek-style yogurt
½ lime, for juicing
Warm corn tortillas
½ cup crumbled feta (DIY)
⅛ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pan. Add mushrooms and minced garlic. Stir and cook for about 15-20 minutes until mushrooms have softened and the mushroom broth has evaporated. Season with salt to taste.

While mushrooms cook, blend chipotles adobados with 1 cup of yogurt, until smooth. Add salt and lime juice to taste.

To serve, place mushrooms in a bowl on the table along with warm tortillas and small bowls each of yogurt sauce, feta and cilantro.