Charred Corn & Bacon Guacamole

I spent the majority of last week on the sofa, overcome by a very, very unenjoyable virus.  I like to think I can handle sickness well, but this one beat all willpower out of me.  I really do not enjoy being sick, I hate how it forces life to come to a halt, and as nice as sitting on the couch watching Netflix all day sounds, I tire of laziness after about four hours.  

I forced myself up last Tuesday and made these popsicles in between bouts of sickness, and then crashed for another day and a half. 

The moment I could stomach normal food again, there was only one thing on my mind - bacon. 

I feel that it is necessary for me to provide some sort of disclaimer.  Bacon is overused, overdone, and overrated, in my humble opinion.  I roll my eyes when I walk into stores and see shelf upon shelf of bacon merchandise.  Apparently, Americans will buy and consume anything that either contains bacon, or some manner of sketchy bacon derivative. 

With that being said, bacon - true, quality bacon, is a thing of beauty.  It’s like butter, but in animal form.  Weird?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Absolutely! 

AND, it adds a deliciously rich, crispy texture to the otherwise mushy texture of guacamole. 

As with most edible things in this world, avocados are a hit or miss for me.  I go through seasons where I cannot get enough of their green, butter-like flesh, and then I hate them for six months.  This confuses my fiancé, and my mom, and pretty much everyone aside from my grandmother who understands because I get this perpetual-fickleness from her. 

Right now, I think I am slowly re-entering the infatuation stage.  For whatever reason, I was possessed to make guacamole, so here we are.  A big bowl of delightfully trashed up avocados just waiting to be smashed and slathered unto an obscene number of corn chips.

Are you a yellow corn or white corn chip kind of person?  Or are you my sister who insists that blue corn is best?  

I’ll always go for the yellow corn - all the way, all the time. 

Is it strange that we are loading up corn chips with more corn?  Nah, I’ll put corn on anything this time of year, even atop more corn.  

When it comes to guacamole-making, there are few secrets, but if there ever was one it would be this: you can never, ever, ever have too much lemon/lime juice.  

Avocados beg for acid.  It brightens up their flavor and cuts through the fattiness, so please do not skimp on the lemon juice.

I know lime juice is traditional, but I like changing things up.

I am a texture person.  When it comes to guacamole, I prefer a partially smooth/chunky (I do not like that word) texture. 

The corn to avocado ratio is nearly even, but in my mind that's just perfect.  If you do not love grilled corn as much as I do, you could back off a little.  I just really love the sweet bursts of flavor and texture that they bring to this chip and dip party. 

My sister has been begging me to throw a taco party, so I figured this was a start.  Next, I'm going to conquer the drink.  I am dreaming up some sort of salted watermelon and lime situation... More to come. 

This is my "get back into life" food.  It's salty and creamy and crunchy and there's bacon.  

All good vibes here.  

I can't believe I just wrote that.  Ugh, what is happening to me?  

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Charred Corn & Bacon Guacamole

- 3 ears fresh sweet corn 

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 4 rashers good quality bacon, diced 

- 3 medium ripe Hass avocados

- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice (you may want to increase this amount if you like your guacamole on the more acidic side)

- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt 

- corn chips, for serving  

Set grill to medium high heat.  

Brush corn with olive oil and place on the grill.  Grill for 5-7 minutes, turning often, until all sides of the ears are evenly charred.  Allow the corn to cool while you cook the bacon. 

Place bacon in a nonstick frying pan and set over medium heat.  Cook until crisp and remove from heat. 

Cut avocados into cubes and place in a medium serving bowl.  Season with lemon juice and salt.  Use a whisk or potato masher to roughly mash the avocados. 

With a sharp knife, strip the corn kernels from the ears.  Add the corn and bacon*, along with the grease, to the mashed avocados; stir to combine. 

Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste.  Serve alongside corn chips.  Enjoy!! 

*You can make this guacamole in advance, but I suggest adding the bacon just before you plan on serving it so that it will stay crisp.  

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Spring Onion Buttermilk Ranch Dip [ Farmer's Market Treasures ]

Last Saturday morning presented me with two options; unproductively thinking about wedding things I cannot fix, or moseying down to the Farmer's Market.  The choice was clear. 

Amidst the stalls of fresh goat cheese, local honey, and over-priced asparagus, these jewel-like globes immediately captured my gaze. 

Papa, my maternal grandfather, taught me how to eat radishes - quickly, with unreserved crunching and an ample sprinkling of salt.  

That is all. 

While that simplistic and familiar option will always be satisfying, I am a very fickle lady, and this time, I really wanted something fresh and creamy, that would exquisitely accent my peppery red globes. 

I also had a handful of spring onions that I simply could not resist, and they begged to be included in the fun.  

And by fun, I mean buttermilk.  

I get really, really excited about vegetables this time of year.  I love coming home from the market with a straw bag filled to the brim, and bursting with more color than the hardware store's paint department.

Spring onions are a particular favorite of mine.  Their resplendent ombre palette is almost as delicious as their subtle flavor. 

Before preparing my dip, I trimmed and washed my radishes - those leaves tend to hold lots of sand and dirt that you certainly do not want to bite down on, and then I soaked them in cool, salted water for about thirty minutes.  

Keeping the radishes cool, preserves their crisp, crunchy texture that my Papa and I so adore. 

While the radishes chill in the refrigerator, we can prepare the dip. 

Onions are sliced thin, and everything is swiftly dumped into that magic blender of all things delicious - the food processor.  

You will likely want to use smaller, young garlic cloves in this recipe, since it will not be cooked at all.  The larger cloves tend to be a bit spicier and can sometimes overwhelm the other flavors.  

In about two minutes, we will have created a rich, creamy, onion-scented dressing, perfect for dipping.  

While salt alone was always a good option, I think this may actually be a better one.

I think Papa would approve. 

If you're a mama, I hope your weekend is filled with all kinds of pampering.  If you are an offspring, then you better get your act together and buy some flowers.  Dip is extra credit, cupcakes are even better. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Spring Onion Buttermilk Ranch Dip

makes about 1 1/2 cups

- 3/4 cup whole milk sour cream

- 3/4 cup buttermilk

- 2/3 cup finely sliced spring onion, about 4

- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

- freshly ground pepper, to taste

- 2-3 teaspoons of sugar, depending on your taste

Combine sour cream, buttermilk, onions, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in the work bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. 

Add pepper and sugar to taste, and pulse until well combined. 

Refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve with fresh vegetables or over salad greens.  Enjoy! 

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Savory Lemon & Chive Cheesecake

There’s a chill in the air - a promising, elusively familiar chill that somehow promises more warmth than the sunshine itself.  My red-lacquered toes clad in premature sandals turn purple, a light sweater would be better replaced by a legitimate jacket, but still we go on, wearing our linen dresses and flip-flops, because that morning chill is full of promise.  The promise of what we know is coming. 

The warmth of Spring is all but in reach and that lingering chill is not so bitter as it once was.

Life is a lot about giving up one wonderful choice, for what we hope will be a slightly more wonderful choice.  Sometimes it’s voluntary.  Sometimes we are forced into it and we have to take a few deep breaths to realize that everything we dreamed of may no longer be the best course of action.  Sometimes it’s a bitter exchange, but one that we know is necessary. 

During these Spring months, we bravely endure the cold toes and purple feet because we know that in several hours the Sun will peek her head through the budding trees and our fashion choices will once again seem reasonable.  Just as with life, April is full of cold toes that turn into beautiful days.  

This cheesecake has nothing to do with hard choices, but it has a lot to do with Spring.  It’s radiant with the bright, fresh-from-the-garden flavors I so adore this time of year. 

Though it is called a cheesecake, this is not a dish you would likely enjoy slicing and eating on its own.  This "cake" is more of a spread, best enjoyed with your favorite crackers.  

Shall we take a moment to appreciate how adorable this 4-inch springform is?  It’s been in my cabinet forever and I finally found the perfect use. 

Appetizers are one of my favorite things.  Eating before I actually eat has never lost its childlike appeal for me.

This cheesecake makes a lovely pre-meal snack and is a welcome revision of the ubiquitous cheeseball. 

While I absolutely, positively hate doing this… I’m going to make you do the whole water bath thing.  I know it’s annoying, and I’m sorry, BUT, you will not enjoy this cheesecake half so much if you skip this step.  Believe me, I tested it both ways.  

Fortunately, a bit of sturdy tin foil will keep us from suffering too much heartache, and the seamlessly smooth texture is completely worth that extra effort.

This creamy, gentle onion and slightly acidic melody is everything.  We are basically eating the farmer’s market on a cracker. 

Life will keep giving us hard choices, but in the kitchen we are not called to compromise.  

Spring is calling, purple toes and all.  Let’s live it. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Savory Lemon & Chive Cheesecake

serves 4-6 / recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese 

- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

- 3 tablespoons goat cheese

- 1 tablespoon pecorino romano 

- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar 

- 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon lemon zest 

- 1 egg yolk 

- olive oil, for greasing 

- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.  

Grease a 4-inch springform pan with olive oil and pour in the cheesecake mixture.  Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a sturdy piece of aluminum foil.  

Place the pan in the center of a pie plate and fill the plate with warm water, until it comes half-way up the sides of the springform pan. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center of the cake still moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken.  Turn off the oven and keep the oven door ajar.  Allow the cake to cool for one hour, then remove from the water bath.  Remove the aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until cool.  

When the cake has cooled, run a butter knife along the edges to loosen the cake and then remove from the springform pan.  The edges will be soft and somewhat sticky.  Gently press the finely chopped pistachios against the sides of the cake to form a rough crust.  This cake is best when served cool, but not cold, so set it out 15-20 minutes before you plan on serving it.   Enjoy!