Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

This is just kind of a note for myself.  Years ago working at a restaurant in Red Wing, MN, we used to make pico de gallo.  It's really the simplest recipe you can find.  I recently had a craving for it, even with the addition of cilantro (see the info on cilantro-soap gene).  You can make this as spicy as you like....traditional pico calls for using jalapenos (with seeds for even more heat).  I choose to use poblanos as they have much less heat (see the difference on the scoville chart). 

With summer approaching and tomatoes coming into season, this will be a staple in many homes.  Keep a couple of avocados on hand (I'll buy them at different stages of ripeness so they ripen at intervals) and can always make this traditional guac or the different nouveau guac (Balsamic Guacamole).  

PICO de GALLO and GUACAMOLE (8 servings)

For the Pico de Gallo:
5 whole plum (Roma) tomatoes
1/2 large (or 1 small) onion
3 whole jalapeno peppers (I use equal amount of seeded poblanos)
cilantro
lime juice 
salt to taste

For the Guacamole:
3 whole avocados
Pico de Gallo
lime juice
salt to taste

Instructions:

For the Pico de Gallo:

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions into a very small dice (leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico).  Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temp.  Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro.  Just remove and discard the long, leafless stems before chopping.  No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely.  Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime and into the bowl.  Add salt to taste and stir again.

For the Guacamole:

Start with buttery-soft avocados.  Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.  Next, with a spoon  scrap the "meat" out onto a large plate.  Next, with the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork) mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky.  Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste.  Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo.  Fold together.  Lastly, squeeze the juice of half a lime over the top.  Give it one last stir.

Recipe Source: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/pico_de_gallo_a/