Blistered Tomato Guacamole for a Mild Taste (No Heat)

Grape tomatoes, avocado oil, kosher salt

If you like guacamole but don't like a lot of heat from chills - this is a great option for you.

Experiment with my yummy twist on guacamole. Try "blistering" your tomatoes first and making a salsa to add to your mashed avocados. For this recipe - I used "grape" tomatoes right from the farmer's market - poured avocado oil over them and then sprinkled with kosher salt. I blistered them under the broiler on it's highest setting. When their skins got charred and split - I took them out and then mashed them in my molecajete. Next I added my special Diva's Guacamole spice mix. (Click on the link to see it).

I put aside the blistered tomatoes - then used the molecajete to mash up some in-season avocados, adding another small teaspoon of my Diva's spice mix. Finally I mixed them all together (the mashed tomatoes and the mashed avocado) for a very flavorful yet mild (no heat) guacamole. It was good with a crusty bread as well as crackers.

Bon appetite!

Sprinkle tomatoes with oil and salt

Blister the skins under the broiler

You know they are ready when they start to pop and split

When they cool, mash in a molecajete

Mash your avocados as well, and mix the two together - adding my spice mix for flavor. 

Guacamole on a Stick

This recipe makes an awesome hors d'oeuvres - especially if you have a phobia (like the Diva) of people who "double dip" in the guacamole. Plus it's TOTALLY easy to pop these babies in your mouth while holding onto your margarita in the other hand. The perfect summer party treat.

INGREDIENTS:
3 - 4 heritage avocados (a nice, firm variety like a Fuerte, Lamb or Gem works great).
24 grape ripe grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch of cilantro, pull off 48 nice leaves
2 large lemons - juiced
1 - 2 tablespoons Diva Guacamole Spice Mix
48 fancy toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:
a. Cut ripe avocados in half and take out the pits. With a small melon baller, make about 6 balls of avocados per half.
b. Place the avocado balls on a large platter and squeeze lemon juice over all the avocado pieces and then sprinkle with Diva's Guacamole Spice Mix. Shake platter so they "roll around" a bit -- and repeat with more juice and spice mix.
c. Skewer the tomatoes, then the cilantro leaf, then a ball of avocado on each toothpick (do it in this order, as the tomato is "stronger" and can take being pushed up the tooth pick better than the softer avocado ball).
d. If not serving immediately - cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in fridge. You should serve these within a few hours as avocado will oxidize (turn brown).

Yields 48 hors d'oeuvres

Shepard's Guacamole

A Shepard avocado - a "heritage" variety from www.AvocadoDiva.com

We are not going to make guacamole from a sheep - but rather - from a super rich, extra flavorful avocado called a "Shepard". While the Shepard is pretty rare in the USA -- I ate a lot of them in Australia - where they are the #2 avocado (after he Hass). They are used as a pollinator tree down under (like we use the Bacon as our "b" pollinator here in California). 

I grew to REALLY enjoy the Shepard while in Australia during a long trip in 2009 - in August (which is there late fall/early winter).  So on "this side of the planet" - the Shepard is available now (during our late spring/early summer). 

You can see from the photo that a Shepard is really dark green near the skin - this indicates how much nutrition and flavor this particular variety has (the more dark green = more minerals and vitamins). In fact, many times the Shepard is SO full of minerals you can actually "feel" them (it kind of has a feeling like there is salt already "in" the flesh - I like it!)

Add lemon zest as well as lemon juice

My experience with Shepard avocados is that due to their deep flavor - they can handle a lot of strong counter flavors - such as a not only lemon juice - but the zest of the lemon as well! Interestingly, Shepards are one of the only avocados that don't oxidize rapidly - so you don't really *need* lemon juice to keep this avocado/guacamole from turning brown. I like the lemon for it's flavor in this guacamole - but you could use lime or other citrus (grapefruit is good too!)

This guacamole can also be decisively spicy and hot - if you like it hot! I also like to add chunkier spices - they compliment the mineral element of this delicious avocados and can make an interesting "mouth feel" with spices that are bigger in size. 

SHEPARD'S GUACAMOLE by the Avocado Diva

Ingredients:

2 or 3 Shepard Avocados - cut, depitted and skinned

1 large fresh lemon with a good, clean skin

2-3 tablespoons of Tapitio Hot Sauce 

Spices:

1 Table spoon Baja sea salt (large, coarse salt)

5 or 6 Whole black pepper corns 

2 or 3 Chile Pequin (small, red, whole peppers) 

Instructions: 

1. In a mortar and pestle  - smash up salt, pepper corns and chiles to make a coarse spice mix (OR - buy from the Avocado Diva here, as shown above).  Set the spice mix aside. 

2. In a glass or pottery bowl (never use a metal bowl with avocados) - squash up 2 of the avocados to make a paste with a potato smasher or forks. Reserve one avocado and cut into chunks - also add that to guacamole (so that you have both smooth and chunky textures). 

3. Add about 2 - 3 teaspoons of Tapitio Hot Sauce (more if you like it hotter, less if you don't!) 

Tapitio Hot Sauce is a "table condiment" at most Mexican Restaurants in Ventura County, California 

4. Squeeze lemon juice over all avocados. Then zest flesh (to yield about 2 tablespoons) and sprinkle over avocados. 

5. Add about 1/2 of the spice mix and stir everything together. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (that could be more zest, more Tapitio or more spice mix). 

Serve with chips or cut up veggies and enjoy! 

Links to some of our products that you might enjoy (from this recipe):

Tapito - Guacamole Kit 
Avocado Pepper Spice Grinder

The Guacamole Song

Sometimes you gotta give a recipe in a SONG!!  Check out this week's blog post via YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRlqsvphYww