Smoked Zucchini Avocado Dip

Background: Usually, by mid summer my garden is producing a lot of zucchini. Sometimes they get massive. Volume-wise, it’s one of the hardest things to eat your way through. So I developed this move as a way to use up those summer squashes and make a vegan (I’m not) lunch that’s satisfying.

1. Get some zucchini.
2. Get some avocado.
3. Get some jalapeñoes.
4. Light a real fire with hardwood someplace safe with a grill grate.
5. Roast some jalapeñoes like in the Roasted Pepper move.
6. Cut your zucchini in half, salt, and oil the flesh side.
7. When the flames die down to coals, put it on the grate, flesh side down, and let it smoke until the skin side can be pierced easily with a chef’s fork.
8. Put it in a food processor with the roasted, seeded jalapeñoes and steamed garlic and blend until it’s the consistency you want.
9. Fold it in with chopped avocado like you are making guac.
10. Season to taste with cumin and salt.
11. Serve with corn chips or make your own like in the Corn Crisp Strips move.

Why It Works

1. Zucchini is cheap, and it’s even cheaper if you grow it. It’s easy to grow from seed.
2. Avocado is relative expensive and hard to grow. So you are cutting the expensive thing with the cheap thing, which is a classic move.
3. Jalapeñoes vary in Scoville Heat Units. If you don’t know your tolerance to capsaicin, go easy on them.
4. You could use any pepper.
5. I like pecan. If you don’t feel like smoking it, you could gas grill it. This move won’t taste the same over a gas grill, but you could still get some benefit out of that process.
6. You could do this ahead or use some from your fridge or freezer. Just make sure to thaw well ahead of time.
7. The flesh side is the side that will absorb the most smoke…I’m guessing…but it will also stick to the grill. Plus, the extra oil will help the consistency of the purée when it’s time to blend.
8. You could char it over flames and then scrape off some of the charred skin like you would a roasted pepper.
9. You could go chunky or not. Your call. You could use a fork to kind of mash it in, if you want.
10. If you don’t like cumin, you could try coriander to take it in a different direction. If you don’t like either, I can’t help you.
11. It’s a versatile move. Just make the crisps triangles instead of strips.

Mods:

1. Add cilantro, of course.
2. Try yellow squash instead of zucchini.
3. Add sour cream for another kind of dip.
4. Add cream cheese for a spread.
5. Add pico. Just don’t call it guac. Remember that whole pea thing?