I can never keep Memorial Day and Labor Day straight, but I do know they are both weekends for making dips of all sorts. When offered an extra day to play, we tend to cram in parties and family get-togethers—perfect dip-making opportunities.
Last weekend, our friends Marci and Steve had a fabulous party ... casual, fun environment (that would be their house and patio), interesting, talkative people (that would be the host and hostess, their friends, Dave, and then me giving it a shot), and the very best weather KC has to offer. They fired up the grill, and we had amazing pork tenderloin and tilapia in a secret rub and a wide variety of side dishes and appetizers. Delicious.
My contribution was Gretchen Ford's now famous "Cowboy Caviar," a tried and true crowd-pleaser, and once again a big hit. It makes a large batch, so you'll have enough to keep a little when you take it somewhere else—always important!
Cowboy Caviar
2 avocados, cubed
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 8 oz. can white corn
1 8 oz. can yellow corn
1/4 cup cilantro
1 bunch green onions, white and light green sections chopped
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced or run through a garlic press
1 t. cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.
Notes on the Recipe:
- I truly just throw it all together in a big bowl and mix it up. No need to make the dressing separately unless you want to.
- Recipe is best if it has 30 minutes or so for the flavors to meld after assembly. Give the whole thing a good stir before serving to redistribute the dressing.
- You can use petite diced tomatoes in a pinch, but fresh are better.
- Use a knife to cut around your avocados from top to bottom. Give them a twist, and they come right apart.
- Feel free to add other items to this base recipe.Black beans are also good, as are black-eyed peas. It just depends on what you like.
- If you have leftovers, put them in a deep container with the least amount of surface on the top, then place saran wrap right on the surface of the dip, pressing down so there's no air. It's air that makes the avocados turn a darker color, so they'll stay fresh longer if you minimize exposure. (It still tastes good when the avocados are darker; it just doesn't LOOK as nice.)
Have a great holiday weekend (Memorial Day, Labor Day, whatever)!
