Tangy Guacamole
Nothing calls my name in the summer like a margarita on the rocks (with salt, please), an outside patio with sunshine on my shoulders and friends around the table, and tangy, spicy, fresh guacamole with blue corn tortilla chips.
This recipe is adapted from a few line cooks at Pudding Stones, a wine bar and restaurant I bartended at in New York — revised with my own trial and error efforts.
- 3 good-sized ripe avocados
- 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)*
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 c. packed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (discard stems)+
- 1/4 c. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pinch of ground cumin (optional)
—Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and slice into cubes while still in skins. Empty cubes into bowl by inverting skins or scooping out with a spoon.
—Add onion, tomato, garlic, and cilantro. Mix in the lime juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste — a good amount of freshly ground pepper is nice.
Serve with blue corn tortilla chips and lime wedges.
I prefer guacamole a bit on the chunky side, but if you prefer it creamier, use a hand-held potato masher to mash the avocado chunks.
Some say leaving the avocado pits in guacamole keeps it from turning brown. I’ve heard this is false, but at Pudding Stones — with a kitchen full of Latino friends — it was common practice. And after never being failed, I take their word on it, even if it is an old wives’ tale.
*Some jalapenos never bother my hands, but some certainly do. (The ones I used making this recipe had my hands, and then subsequently my forehead and left cheek, burning up.) I suggest using rubber dishwashing gloves when handling any spicy peppers. Remember, it’s the seeds that hold the most fire.
+An easy way to coarsely chop cilantro (or any herb) — put the leaves in a cup or coffee mug and take kitchen scissors to the cup until coarsely chopped.
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By Lynne Funk
Lynne Funk is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and cheesemonger. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., she attended Penn State University where her college newspaper, The Daily Collegian, made her fall in love with words. It was the two and a half years residing in New York City, however, that sparked her obsession with food and wine. Some of her favorite things to make are rack of lamb, paella, and sauces, such as aioli. Choosing just one favorite cheese is difficult, but Pierre Robert tops her list. French wine of all varietals always please her palate.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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