Recipe Box < Summer Harvest Recipes < Appetizers

Guacamole

Delicious avacado blended with onion, tomato and jalapeno with a hint of lime.  A fresh, and healthy, appetizer that compliments any meal.

What is needed:

Cutting board

Knife for slicing

Large spoon

Fork

Medium Bowl

Ingredients

3 medium size avocados, well ripened

1/2 small red onion

1 small, fresh tomato

1/2  jalapeno pepper

1 fresh lime

Salt to taste

Finely dice onion and tomato and place in a medium bowl.  Slice jalapeno in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds and membrane.  Finely dice 1/2 of the jalapeno and add to bowl with onion and tomato.  Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and with a large spoon remove avocado and add to bowl with other ingredients.  Discard pit and avocado skin.  With the palm of your hand, roll lime back and forth on counter top, pressing firmly, to release lime juices before cutting.  Cut lime in half and squeeze juice of both halves over ingredients in bowl.  With the back of a fork, smash avocados to mix with onion, tomato and jalapeno.  Mix together well.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve with corn chips.

Helpful hints:

Think of an avocado like a banana.  The browner the banana the riper and softer the fruit.  Very same thing for avocados.  You are looking for dark brown and dark green skin and when squeezed gently feels soft like a ripened banana.  If you buy an avocado that is not ripe, you may have to wait several days before it is ready to use.  And just like a banana, an avocado will turn brown as soon as it is removed from the skin.  The lime juice will keep your guacamole from turning brown.  Keep your guacamole bowl sealed tightly with plastic wrap to also prevent browning.

I recommend using a good salt like Murray River because it will hold up in the dip and add a wonderful fresh salty balance.  Unlike table sat that can sometimes taste metalic.  Kosher salt also works great.

If you like your dip a little hotter, keep some of the seeds and membrane in the jalapeno before dicing; that is where all the heat is in the jalapeno.  CAUTION.... your hands are touching the hot jalapeno, so be careful not to rub your eyes.