If you live in a four-season climate, you know the first part of June is the best time for entertaining outdoors. Lawns and foliage are fresh and green; the flies and mosquitoes aren’t yet in peak form, and it isn’t so ungodly hot. After waiting all winter, margarita season has finally arrived.
Are you looking for something besides salsa to serve with a pitcher of margaritas? Prepare a delicious guacamole dip made with fresh ingredients and serve it in a molcajete (a traditional Mexican version of a mortar and pestle).
A molcajete has a rough surface, so it can be used to crush and grind herbs and spices, making it very functional. I actually make the guacamole in the molcajete and then garnish the top with strips of pimento and sprigs of either cilantro or Italian parsley.
Its rustic appearance makes it a very attractive serving dish for an inviting dip. It looks great sitting next to a sweating pitcher of margaritas, and it’s really fun to pronounce (mol-cah-hay’-tay).
For my delicious and healthy guacamole recipe, click on Guacamole in a Molcajete (Patio Fare). The recipe will appear below the narrative.
Don’t forget about the chips. How about some homemade LIME TORTILLA CHIPS?
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush fresh lime juice on a 12-inch soft tortilla. Don’t soak it. Rain salt lightly over it to taste. Cut chips into your favorite shape with a pizza cutter. Transfer to an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet that’s been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 13 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn’t brown too much. Flip all of the chips over and bake for another 5 minutes.
You will love them. They don’t break when dipped, and they taste great. The time spent preparing these is well worth it. You will end up using them with other dips as well.
And instead of going out and buying your favorite margarita mix, try mixing your drink with fresh ingredients. Sure, it’s a lot more trouble, but it is OH so worth it. Next week I will post my favorite margarita recipe.