Good and Green

Cinco de Mayo has come and gone but it is still avocado season around here and limes are still plentiful, too, so I made guacamole the other evening. You may be watching the playoff basketball games, or finally be enjoying spring weather on the deck, porch, patio or in the park. Maybe you are looking for something to bring to a potluck or celebration for graduation or other end-of-the-school year event. Never fear, this is a delicious and fairly easy dish and always welcome...at least that has been my experience.

Guacamole is a combination of ripe avocados, garlic, salt, lime, cayenne pepper or hot sauce, cilantro, green onion and something creamy like mayo, yogurt, or sour cream. You scoop it up with tortilla chips and it goes great with drinks like beer, lemonade, or margarita.

Every recipe differs just a bit, so I'll just give you mine. Because a really ripe avocado tastes different from a almost ripe one, I ask that you add salt to taste instead of specifying an amount. The same goes for the cayenne or hot sauce...some like it hotter than others. I also add just a cherry tomato or two to give spots of color and just a little bit of tomato taste now and then. Add more if you like. In fact, change the amounts of any ingredient to please your taste buds.

For those keeping up on things, Sweetie is doing much better. It no longer hurts when he sneezes or laughs, although he is still sleeping in his lounge chair since lying in bed is still painful. Fortunately we still have the joys of eating things like this guac.

Elle's Guacamole
enough for 4 for an appetizer

3-4 ripe avocados
zest from 1/2 lime
juice from 1 lime
1 green onion, chopped finely, green and white parts
1-2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1-2 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons plain, unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream (I used Tofutti soy based 'sour cream')
1-2 clove(s) minced garlic
salt to taste
cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste

Serve with tortilla chips

Cut the avocados in half and remove the seed by whacking a sharp knife into the seed, give a twist and pulling the seed out. Carefully remove seed from knife and discard. Repeat with each avocado.
Run the sharp knife edge along the middle of each half to cut just the skin, then peel the skin off. Put the halves in a shallow bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado to desired smoothness. I like mine a bit chunky, but some like it really smooth.

Add the lime zest, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, tomato yogurt, sour cream, garlic and mix to combine completely. Taste. Add salt and cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce to taste. Serve at once.

(If you need to hold off serving it, sprinkle additional lime juice over the surface of the guacamole, then cover with plastic wrap and chill. At serving time, stir to distribute the extra lime juice into the mixture.)