Summer entertaining is upon us. I assume your barbecue is open, cleaned of spider webs and the grills are clean and ready to use. I also hope you have checked to make sure your propane has plenty of juice in it and you have enough charcoal to make a really hot cooking service.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a week with my daughter, Darcy, and her husband in La Mirada, California. One evening they grilled a hanger steak and we had tacos with a buffet of cilantro, chopped onions, tomatoes and sliced steak topped with salsa. A few days later, they made pizza from Darcy’s own dough with another buffet of vegetables (including pencil-thin asparagus), sausage and shrimp. Jeff grilled the pizza on an outside oven he designed and made for their patio.

Next week I will share with you her pizza dough recipe, but here is her salsa recipe and my own for guacamole, just in case your friends are hungry before the steak, burgers, hot dogs and chicken are done.

Salsa

Adapted from Darcy White

1/2 onion (she uses yellow onions, I might use Vidalia)

1/3 bunch cilantro

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts

4 to 5 Roma tomatoes, 3 to 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, or 1 to 2 beefsteak tomatoes

1 small can Rotel original canned tomatoes

1 jalapeno (seeded) or half a can of El Patio Mexican hot style tomato sauce

Coarsely chop the onions, cilantro, scallions and fresh tomatoes. Place all ingredients except the jalapeno or hot sauce into a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency. Place in a medium-sized bowl, stir in the jalapeno or hot sauce (to your own taste) and mix. Serve as a dip for chips and/or use one-quarter cup of salsa into the guacamole in the recipe below.

Guacamole

Yield: serves 10 as an appetizer

2 medium-sized tomatoes

5 gorgeous, soft Hass avocados (not the green Florida ones)

1/2 cup chopped sweet onions (I use Vidalia when in season)

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup good salsa (use Darcy’s recipe or use Newman’s Own, medium hot)

1 medium-sized lime

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

cayenne pepper or hot sauce, to taste

On the cooktop, heat a small pot of water until boiling. Make a cross on the bottom of the tomatoes and drop them into the boiling water. Boil for maybe 15 seconds, then put pot and tomatoes in the sink under the faucet with cold water. When you can touch the tomatoes, remove the skin, core and seeds, then chop them. (I know this sounds like a pain, but you don’t want your guac to be watery and you don’t want to eat the skin, either.)

Cut each avocado in half lengthwise. Very carefully, hit the pit with the sharp side of a knife, then turn the knife; the pit will come out. Hit the handle of the knife on the side of the skin and the pit will drop out. Use a spoon to take the “meat” of the avocado into a medium side bowl. Mash the avocado with a potato masher until medium chunky (unless you like it more like a puree).

Add the onions and garlic mix with the large spoon. Taste. Add salsa. Taste. Squeeze the lime over the guac. (The lime juice not only adds great taste, but keeps the guac from turning brown.) Taste. Now is the time to add salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt. Taste. Maybe you think it needs more; if so, add more. (Trust me here, the pepper is key here.) When you think it tastes good, add the chopped cilantro. If you want a little cayenne (and I always do), add some, a pinch at a time. Taste.