Perfect Summer Dish

I was at a party earlier this year, and my friend made this stuff he called Cowboy Caviar. I wanted to eat the whole bowl. It was a light and chunky mixture of all things good in this world, perfect for snacking on with some tortilla chips or even just a fork.

I made him give me the recipe immediately. And since I’ve made it, I’ve also been asked for the recipe multiple times.

So please make this soon–maybe for Father’s Day (which I plan to do). You won’t regret it. It’s such a perfect and delicious summer snack. Whether you eat it with some chips or all by itself, I know you’ll love it. If you don’t, we probably can’t be friends anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen. may I present a life-changing recipe.

Cowboy Caviar

• 2  tablespoons  red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2  to 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I use habenero because I’m hardcore)
• 1 1/2  teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 1/8  teaspoon pepper
• 1  firm-ripe avocado (about 10 oz.)
• 1  can (15 oz.) black-eyed peas
• 1  can (11 oz.) corn kernels
• 2/3  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 2/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  pound  Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• Salt

For the “dressing” mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, hot sauce, minced garlic, and salt & pepper.

SIDEBAR: I actually add the salt at the very end of the recipe so that I can better gauge how much I need.

Chop up the avocados and add them to the dressing mixture.

Rinse the cans of corn and peas and add to the bowl.

SIDEBAR: I’ve also used frozen corn and peas, which work great. Just make sure you allow time for them to cool completely after you cook them.

OTHER SIDEBAR: I’ve also used black beans instead of black-eyed peas. Delicious, but I do prefer the peas.

Mix gently so you don’t smash those beautiful bits of avocado.

Add the green onions…

Chop up and add the cilantro. Oh, cilantro. I love you. More than cinnamon… more than sunscreen. To me, you are the greatest smell of all.

SIDEBAR: I used to individually tear off the cilantro leaves and then chop them, which took a ridiculous amount of time. Then my friend, Monique (who is a wonderful Mexican food cook that taught me how to make mole) told me to just roll up the bunch of cilantro and chop–stems and all. I love Monique. She probably gave me back a week of my life that I would’ve spent tearing leaves off of stems.

Chop up and add the tomatoes.

Gently stir it all up and add any extra salt or hot sauce or whatever until the flavor is just right.

Then eat it all. Ta-Da!

I can’t wait to make more of this on Sunday. Mmm.. cilantro…

Speaking of cilantro, Peter is HALFWAY through his trip to Germany! In three weeks and one day I can be normal again and abandon my sad, lonely lifestyle. But for now, I finished my homework and have been doing laundry like a good girl, so I get to wallow with a couple of episodes of FNL and a bowl of Cheerios.

Goodbye, Ross. Forever… (please know what that’s from.)

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