The next time y0u have a grill handy, try grilling some cactus paddles and shrimp. They make a great taco filling.
Just give them a quick bath in some garlic and oil before hitting the flame. The nopales will take longer to cook so start them first. You can even cook the tortillas on the grill.
Taco looks great. Now to find cactus native to west Tennessee. . .
It’s worth looking in to. Here in Napa it grows like a weed, especially with a little water and care, and we get a hard frost a couple of times a winter. Our pipes freeze at least once or twice each winter and the cactus is ok. I think it needs drainage more than anything, and southern exposure.