Guacamole, Texas Style

I lived in the Midwest for years and never tasted an avocado until I was an adult.  I bought it at the grocery, took it home, and called a friend for advice on how to eat it. She said just cut it open, sprinkle it with salt, and add a little Italian dressing. Well, it was hard, I cut it open, and one bite convinced me I didn’t like avocados.

A few years later I moved to Texas and had my first guacamole. A new friend, Diana, invited me to her house. I watched as she made a big bowl of that tangy spicy dip. She squeezed the avocado and her thumb made a slight indentation. She explained that it was just ripe enough. She cut the avocados open, removed the seeds with a twist of the knife and scraped the soft insides out with a spoon. Then she squeezed the fresh tart lime over the soft concoction, sprinkled it with salt and used a fork to mash it—not too much. Next she chopped the sweet East Texas onion, ripe tomato, and diced the jalapeno and garlic. At last she sprinkled in some seasoning. When she was all finished she dropped one of the avocado seeds into the dip and covered it—a little secret that keeps the dip from turning brown. Since then every time I go to a Mexican restaurant or serve Mexican food at home, guacamole is on the menu, and I never forget the seed. Follow this advice and you are guaranteed great guacamole from a true Texan. Thanks Diana!

                                          Diana’s Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 avocados (ripe)

Juice from 1 lime

½ diced sweet onion

1diced medium ripe tomato

½ seeded, diced Jalapeno (or small can of green chilies if you can’t take the heat)

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with your favorite fresh tortilla chips. Don’t forget your seed and it will keep your dip fresh and green until you’ve devoured the last bite.

If you wash and plant the seed you can have your own avocado tree. I’m not kidding. We planted two seeds in February and now one of the trees comes almost to my neck!