The first time I had an avocado I was in my 30s and a friend in Ann Arbor put chopped avocado on a grilled chicken salad. It was amazing. After that I found out about guacamole, which is even more amazing because of the cilantro. So on the path to trying to eat local there are two foods we buy that will never fit in that category unless we move south – like to South America – bananas and avocados.
I have two ways of making guacamole depending on if it’s a quick lunch for myself, or I’m making it for a larger audience. First you have to get to the avocado, so here’s a short video on how to remove the pit from the center. After that, it’s fairly easy to remove the skin as long as the avocado is ripe – a good avocado will not be rock hard – but not over-ripe or bruised.
How to remove the pit from an avocado
Save the pit from the avocado and, if you aren’t going to eat the guacamole right away or have leftovers, store it with the pit. The pit helps it keep the green color longer.
Quick and Easy Guac.
1 avocado
2-4 T salsa
Set one or two halves of an avocado in a bowl. Fill the indent left from the pit with a mound of salsa – 1 tablespoons on each half; add more to taste. Smash with a fork until well blended.
Perfect Guacamole
2 avocados
1/2 finely chopped tomato or 1/4 C salsa
2 crushed cloves garlic
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped onion
1 T lime juice
1 minced green chili or 2 T canned green chili (optional)
Smash avocado with a fork then mix in everything else until well blended. Add more salsa or salt and pepper to taste.
