Guacamole with Nectarines

My father, not a Mexican and therefore not entitled to tell me—who IS half a Mexican!—how to make my guacamole—the food of MY people—hates that I don’t add jalapeño to my guac. You know what? I’m an adult now, I can have my guac any darn way I want.

Of course, even though he’s only Mexican by association to my mother, to whom he has been married to for 36 years this month, he does make the most kick ass salsa verde. We’ve established this. But I don’t like the guacamole that comes out of MY kitchen to be spicy. I like it to have a hint of sweetness instead.

Avocados are absolutely perfect on their own. They’re filled with good fat. They’re a gift through the centuries from the Aztec people (I might be embellishing). They’re green. The skin on some of them looks like it was birthed by a dinosaur. You can sub them for bananas in baking. And they’re delicious! But if you add a teeny bit of garlic salt and a cubed nectarine, you have a dip that will blow your mind.

I am not overstating that fact. Take a bowl of the green stuff topped with stone fruit to a party, and people will look at it askew. Then, after you dare them to taste it, they suddenly turn rabid. Every single time I take this to a party it disappears immediately. Every single time I make myself a single serving of it, I seem to inhale it. Something about avocado + nectarine = food orgasm.

The original recipe I found nearly 10 years back, before the popularity explosion of all things culinary. Nowadays, the pairing of these two items doesn’t seem that unusual, but back then, people were weirded out. And this is California, for crying out loud! Weird food is where we’re at. Anyway, the original recipe called for peaches. But when I did the grocery shopping for this particular dish, the peaches were ridiculously expensive. Their non-furry pals, on the other hand, weren’t going to cost me un ojo de la cara (Spanish for “my first born” or some such saying). And thus my new go-to party dip was born.

The ratio of 2-3 medium avocados to one nectarines scales easily. Nectarines seem to bear more flesh than avocados, which is why you want more of the green fruit than the peachy. Add a sprinkle of garlic salt to taste, squeeze a lime over, and you’re done. 

And don’t kid yourself that saving the pit will keep your guac from turning brown. What you need to do is cover with plastic film, but push it down onto the dip so that no air enters the bowl before you’re ready to dig in. 

If you, like my dad, just can’t abide by guacamole sin jalapeño, then by all means, add it in! Who am I to tell you how to make your food. They’re your tastebuds. 

Plus, I’m only half-Mexican, after all.

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Guacamole with Nectarines

by Paulette Fontanez, August-13-2012

A sweet twist on your favorite summer party dip. For a spicier take, add a jalapeño or chile flakes.

Ingredients

• 6 medium avocados
• 1-2 medium nectarine
• garlic salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Slice the avocados in half. Discard pits and remove meat into bowl. Mash to a chunky consistency.2. Cube nectarine and add to mashed avocadoes. Stir to combine thoroughly. Add salt to taste. 

Details

Prep time: 5 minutesCook time: Total time: 5 minutesYields: 1 medium bowl

Smoked Oyster Dip

I've learned that I like smoked oysters. A couple of ways. This experiment started as a smoked oyster pâté. I was working on a cross between the recipes from Food52 and Joseph Phelps Vineyard, both of which use cream cheese.

But I decided to use a super strong Egyptian Istanbolli cheese my mother found was too salty for her, so she pawned it off on me. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I would use it in this dish.

The feta-like cheese was so strong I cut back on the salt and lemon. I also only used half of the Worcestershire sauce because of its high sodium content. Switching out parsley for oregano (I never have parsley on hand, but I always have oregano — must be the Latina in me), adding more garlic, and foregoing the lemon zest completely led to a tasty combination. I almost wish I'd left out the Tabasco, it really doesn't add much more than a sour vinegar-y flavor. My other mistake was in using all three tablespoons of milk at once. Given the oil from the smoked oysters (though drained), there was a bit too much liquid.

Therefore, I made a creamy dip instead of a thick pâté. This would make a great sandwich spread, or bagel schmear.

It's good party food. And a perfect vehicle for the fresh chives I recently acquired. I love chives in anything. Even with smoked oysters. They make pretty, edible garnishes.

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Smoked Oyster Dip

by Paulette Fontanez

A creamy cheese-based dip perfect for parties.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Istanbolli cheese (can substitute cream cheese, feta, goat cheese or even ricotta)
• 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• 1 three oz can smoked oysters, packed in olive oil
• dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the cheese, scallions, garlic, oregano, chives, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.2. Add the milk a bit at a time, until you reach the thickness you prefer. All three tablespoons lead to a very thin dip, less to a thicker pâté-like texture. Remember you might add oil in the next step.3. Add in the oysters, using a bit of the flavorful oil in the mix. Add the salt and pepper at this point, if needed.4. Spread on crackers or bagels, or serve in a dipping bowl.

Details

Yield: 4-6 servings