Viva la Guacamole! (and cute Guinea Pigs in Sombreros)

Who can resist a Guinea Pig in a Sombrero?!

The Diva used 3 heritage varieties in this guacamole

What does a darling guinea pig have to do with guacamole? Nothing - I just thought he was funny!  (We do own two G Pigs - or they own us. And yes, they do consume a slice of avocado now and then...)

ANYWAY -- This week's guacamole is made from 3 varieties of heritage avocados: Gwen, Regal and Gem.

These are all summer varieties that you can buy on www.AvocadoDiva.com and that we shipped in our "Diva Club" box. (It's like an "avocado of the month club").

Summer avocados are typically full of natural oil and make wonderful, very savory guacamoles. They are also usually easy to peel (unlike winter avocados) - so you can get every bit of the dark green flesh (where all the vitamins and minerals are.

THREE TIPS about summer avocados:

1. Most summer avocados that are pear shaped turn black as they ripen and are soft when they ripen. If they are round, the skin is often too thick to tell if the avocado is ripe (e.g. - Gwen, Reed and Nabal). For the round ones - push on the stem to see if it "gives" (like you might with a cantaloupe). You can gently lift the stem off - and if the flesh is green underneath - its probably ripe.  If it's turned brown -- um... over ripe!)

Summer avocados can be peeled

2. When you peel a summer avocado - some of the skin might leave a layer of brown (see photo). That's ok -- it will impart more flavor and some fiber. If you don't like it -- gently scrape it off with a butter knife or edge of a spoon.

3. If the avocado pit is growing roots - be sure and get all of the roots out of the flesh (sometimes they sneak way down in there...) - this is common on the BIG summer fruits (like Lamb and Regal) and makes an unpleasant "crunchy" element.  If the pit is sprouting and rooting, by all means try and grow it. (Watch my video here on how to do that.)

I made a pretty simple guacamole with these 3 fruits so that the summer flavor of the avocados would come through - lots of "nutty" flavor, lots of creamy flesh full of healthy oil (see recipe below). ENJOY!

RECIPE:

3 - 6 summer avocados (here are Gwen, Regal and Gem) - you could also use Hass, Lamb and/or McArthur - all excellent summer fruits

1 tablespoon Sea Salt and
1 tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Juice from 2 lemons or limes
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:
1. Peel, de-pit and mash all the avocados into a large, non-metal bowl.
2. Squeeze the lemon or lime juice over all the fruit and stir.
3. Mash the avocados with a potato masher (non metal if you have one).
4. Sprinkle the mash with sea salt, pepper and the garlic powder. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with cut up cucumbers or tortilla chips.

"That's too much guacamole" said nobody, ever!

I'm not sure I even need to write an elaborate blog post about this meme. It just speaks for itself.

So feel free to copy - post - and help it go viral.

"THANKS!" said the Diva.

Cajun Kick to Guacamole

My son is named after a restaurant in New Orleans. I love Creole and Cajun food as well as the "Crescent City".  Each year I purchase a can of this Creole Seasoning and have it shipped from "Narlins". This week - as I was contemplating my ripe avocados and my finds from the local farmers market -- I decided to go the "Cajun route" for my spiciness.

Another of my favorite Louisiana treats is a vinegary-spicy sauce from Avery Island (think "Tabasco"). There are a TON to choose from that are made in Louisiana - and the best part is the heat plus the distinct vinegar taste.

So here's my Cajun Tribute Guacamole and a tip of the Diva's hat to her son - Brennan.

INGREDIENTS:
2 or 3 summer avocados (Gem, Lamb or Regal)
1-2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce
Juice from 1 small lemon
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped to yield 1/3 cup

DIRECTIONS:
a. With a butter knife, cut the summer avocado (which should have a tough, thicker skin) into cubes within it's skin. See photo to the right. Use a dull knife so as not to pierce the avocado skins.
b. Use a table spoon to scoop out the avocado flesh into a non-metal bowl (never use a metal bowl with avocados) and mash into a chunky sauce. Reserve the avocado's skins for a service bowl(s).
c. Add the Creole seasonings, salt, and Tabasco sauce as well as the lemon juice, tomatoes and cilantro. Go light at first with the Creole and Tabasco. Taste - and if you wish for more heat, add more seasonings.
d. Serve with cut up fresh veggies or chips.