Guacamole

As my summer herb garden continues to thrive,

It's time to make my guacamole and use some of that cilantro!

Here's a recipe I have tweaked to SCRUMPTIOUS.

Jill's Guacamole

3 avacados

1/2 med. red onion chopped

1 fresh lime

1/2  jalapeno pepper (next to bell peppers in produce section)

1 lg. tomato seeded and chopped

2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro or to taste (with fresh herbs in the produce section)

salt and pepper to taste

The most important ingredient in guacamole is the avacado

If the avacado isn't the perfect ripeness, the guacamole will be bland.

Select avacados by squeezing in the store.

If they're hard, you can buy them for guacamole later in the week.

If the fruit is overly mushy...don't buy it!

A soft, but not mushy avacado is perfect.

Start by cutting it lengthwise and twisting it around the large pit.

Remove the pit...

and scoop the pretty green stuff into a mixing bowl.

Do this with all three avacados.

Squeeze in the juice from one fresh lime.

Avacados turn brown FAST. The lime will add flavore and retain the bright green color.

Smush this together with a potato masher.

Finely chop the onion. I prefer a red onion, but only had a yellow onion on hand.

You can adjust the amount to your taste.

Seed and dice one tomato. I used a Roma, but am waiting on my own garden tomatoes.

Remove seeds and finely chop half a jalapeno pepper.

This process always takes my breath away.

BEWARE...avoid breathing in the HOTNESS when removing seeds!

Chop and add the cilantro.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I garnish mine with a blob of sour cream, sliced black olives, a few diced tomatoes and cilantro.

If I have cheddar cheese, I grate some on top.

Serve in a festive bowl with tortilla chips.

My husband plopped some on his tacos for dinner.

Since I grow a small herb garden by my back porch, we mix up guacamole all the time in the summer.

It's great for serving guests at backyard barbecues.

I actually want to grow avacados,

but read on the Internet you need a tropical climate.

I live in Michigan, so I guess plucking them from the grocery store produce section is good enough.

Enjoy this summery recipe!