Family Favorite Guacamole
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Guacamole. Is there any better go-to party dish, appetizer, condiment, or spread?
I doubt it.
Now, this is a homestead blog and I often write about things that we grow ourselves. The fact is, we can't grow Avocados very well up here in cold Vermont. I wish we could. So this recipe makes it onto my blog because of my other favorite ingredient - garlic - which IS something we grow (check out this article to learn how to grow a year's worth!).
Purists will tell you that guacamole really only requires avocado, salt, and a dash of lime. And they're right. That version is delicious too. But as I often say, garlic makes everything better, and I believe guacamole is no exception.
I have been making this version of guacamole ever since I learned that I like guacamole (gasp) after college. I know, what took me so long, right? It's all a matter of exposure. It just wasn't served in my house growing up and so I was, sadly, deprived. But I will not let that happen to my kids, so I serve this yummy dip as often as we can get good avocados.
And they love it.
Seriously, don't leave your kids alone with it. I left to get some honey lemonade from the kitchen and this bowl was half-way gone!
How to Prepare an Avocado
Before we get to this recipe, can we just talk about one thing? The prevalence of avocado injuries as of late has been staggering. I mean, the number of people who have stabbed themselves, cut their palms, or done other horrible things in their kitchen trying to prep this simple fruit is scary.
Let's just go over the way we prepare avocados in my house so that we won't have any crazy injuries!
Step 1: Cut around the outside of your avocado, north pole to south pole, allowing your knife to trace the shape of the pit inside, but not trying to cut through it. Once you have cut all the way around, simply twist one side of the avocado and pull the two sides apart.
Step 2: Using your dominant hand, gently but assertively raise your knife, then chop down into the pit. KEEP YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND FAR AWAY. You do not need to hold the avocado when you are doing this, as your knife only needs to go in about a quarter inch for this process to work.
Step 3: Now, gently tip your knife to one side to pull the pit free of the flesh; it it doesn't come off right away, just give it a little twist. Do NOT try to stab the pit with the knife repeatedly or scrape it out by putting the knife under the pit. If you want to do it that way, for goodness sake, use a spoon (which is a totally acceptable option if you don't want to use a knife).
Step 4: Still keeping your other hand far away from the process, bring your knife with the pit to the edge of your compost bin and gently pull the knife out of the pit against the side.
Now, you can either cut the avocado into fourths and peel the skin away, or you can simply use a fork to scoop out the flesh (my preferred method).
Ok, now back to our recipe.
Recipe: Our Favorite Guacamole
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Directions
Using the method above, or whatever SAFE method you have for getting the flesh out of your avocados, scoop it all out and put it into a bowl, then use a spoon or potato masher to mash the flesh well, but not smooth*. Keep a few nice chunks in there.
Add the garlic, lime juice, salt, and cumin to the avocado and stir well. Top with chipped fresh cilantro (if you really like cilantro you can also stir some in).
Notes:
*Some people like smooth guacamole and prefer to do this process in a food processor. If that's you, knock yourself out. But we prefer this chunkier version because we think it tastes fresh and allows the flavor of the avocado to come through better.
Fresh guacamole does not store well for long. Make it just a little while before you plan to eat it. If you need to store it, keep one of your pits and place the pit right in the middle of the guac, then cover with saran wrap to allow as little air as possible to get to the guac. Exposure to air can turn the guac a dark greenish brown which just isn't as attractive, but is still edible.
