Avocado & Poblano Tortas

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion. Cut off and discard the stem of the poblano pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the sliced poblano pepper (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the cooked onion and poblano pepper to a bowl. Wipe out the pan. In the same pan, arrange the bacon in an even layer. Cook on medium-high 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the pan.

Peel the carrots and grate on the large side of a box grater. Halve the radishes lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Combine the grated carrots and sliced radishes in a bowl. Using a zester or the small side of a box grater, finely grate the lime to get 1 teaspoon. Halve the lime crosswise. Halve the baguettes. Halve and pit the avocado. Using a spoon, remove the avocado from the skin, then medium dice. Place in a bowl; add the juice of 1 lime half. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Roughly chop the pickled peppers.

To the bowl of prepared carrots and radishes, add the lime zest, the juice of the remaining lime half, and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.  

Meanwhile, assemble the tortas using the halved baguettes, mashed avocado, cooked onion and poblano pepper, cheese, cooked bacon, and chopped pickled peppers. Season with salt and pepper.

In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the tortas; place a heavy-bottomed pot (or pan) on top of the tortas and press down. Cook, occasionally pressing down on the pot, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil before flipping). Transfer to a cutting board and carefully halve on an angle. Serve the cooked tortas with the slaw on the side. Enjoy!