Black Bean Tacos with Smashed Avocado

From the garden

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ small white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 2 cans canned black beans, drained, liquid reserved
• 12 corn tortillas — warmed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 limes — one for the avocado, one in wedges
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ cup crumbled feta or cotija (optional)
• hot sauce (optional) — to taste
• salt

1. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and stir 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
2. Add the beans with a splash of their reserved liquid and simmer 5 minutes, smashing some against the pan with the back of a spoon until the mixture is creamy with whole beans throughout. Season with salt.
3. Halve and pit the avocados and smash the flesh in a bowl with the juice of one lime and a good pinch of salt — chunky, not puréed.
4. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a low flame until soft and lightly blistered, stacking them in a towel to keep warm.
5. Build the tacos: a swipe of smashed avocado, a spoonful of beans, then cabbage, cilantro, feta if using, and hot sauce, with lime wedges at the table.