startin’ summer off right, part I

I hate to do this to you, breaking up three key ingredients to ushering summer in properly, but I simply must. If you can believe it, I am STILL not out of school for the summer.  Seven more days, peeps.  Seven. more. days.  Since my last posting, I have been in quite a tizzy.  Ask Mr. Fresh Scratch.  Ask Teensy Fresh Scratch.  Heck, ask Teensy Weensy, while you’re at it, though she’ll probably just say, “Mama ANGRY face!”  So sad.  Most of my students are high school seniors, and their grades are due earlier than all the rest, so I was grading in a mad frenzy like never before.  I kept looking at my blog every day.  It felt like walking through my college campus at the age of 21 and passing by the guy who had just dumped me.  Our eyes would meet, my heart would race, and his eyes would cut away.  Dramatic, no?

Anyway, I love chips and guacamole and margaritas on a sunny day. {That sounded random!} How about you?  What’s not to like?  A little salty, a little crunchy, a little creamy, a little vegetable action goin’ on, and a little salty/sour/sweet beverage with a nice kick of vitamin c.  Only I can make that which is bad for your body sound good, folks.  Yep.  Me and Ms. Paula Deen.  We got it goin’ ON! I am venturing, in this three part series, to teach you how to make all of these things from scratch.  They are so much better that way.  They taste good because of your efforts and because of the zero high fructose corn syrup factor.  So start planning a little early summer soiree, and get practicing on step 1: tortilla chips.

You’re gonna need:

* Lyle Lovett on the iPod.  Oh, yes.  That says “summer” in my household.

* a package of a dozen 6-inch corn tortillas

* canola oil & a pastry brush

* sea salt (table salt’s too fine, and kosher salt is too course)

* pizza cutter

* cutting board

* rimmed baking sheet

1)Preheat the oven to 400.  Make a stack of tortillas on the counter. Put a cutting board next to it.

2) Pour some canola oil into a little bowl and get your brush handy.

3) Put one tortilla on the cutting board and brush both sides with oil.

4) Stack another tortilla on top and repeat with the entire package.

5) Break the stack up into a few stacks.  Wield your pizza cutter.  You can cut them into strips like in my picture or, if you like to scoop up big chunks of guacamole {trust me, you will!}, simply cut each stack of oiled tortillas into fourths, making triangles. {strips are excellent in a taco soup or chili}

6) Place the triangles on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.  I do so pretty liberally.  I love salt.  Love. it.

7) Bake for a total of 15-20 minutes, checking on them and tossing them about every 5 minutes.  The first time I toss them, I add more salt.  Ooh, and these would be smashing with a lot of squeezes of fresh lime!!  You want them golden when they’re all done.  Cool them completely before storing, but not necessarily before devouring.

These store nicely in a plastic bag on your counter for a few days.  They won’t last that long, though!

I am going to finish a little more grading, etc, and get back to you soon with the guacamole recipe.  In the meantime, practice making these chips.  Remember, making something from scratch = impressive {among other things!}.

Hurry, summertime!!