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Guacamole |
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Guacamole |
The California avocado is a native American plant with a long,
distinguished history. Today, the most popular of the seven most
common varieties is the Hass.
The mother
tree of all Hass avocados was born in a backyard in LaHabra,
California.
The avocado (Persea Americana) originated in
south-central Mexico, sometime between 7,000 and 5,000 B.C. But
it was several millennia before this wild variety was
cultivated. Archaeologists in Peru have found domesticated
avocado seeds buried with Incan mummies dating back to 750 B.C.
and there is evidence that avocados were cultivated in Mexico as
early as 500 B.C.
Called ahuacatl in the Aztec language, avocados were a
favorite of the Aztecs, who considered them a sexual stimulant
and, therefore, a forbidden fruit. Although its alluring shape
certainly mimics the soft curves of a woman and its many
nutrients might explain the avocado's amorous reputation,
science can neither confirm nor deny that the avocado is an
aphrodisiac.
Spanish conquistadores loved the fruit but couldn't pronounce it
and changed the Aztec word to a more manageable aguacate,
which eventually became avocado in English. The first
English-language mention of avocado was by Sir Henry Sloane in
1696. Don't suppose he was making guacamole?!
Fast forward to 1871, when Judge R.B. Ord of Santa Barbara
successfully introduced avocados to the U.S. with trees from
Mexico. By the early 1900s, growers were seeing the avocado's
commercial potential.
Today, California is the number-one producer of avocados and
home to 95% of the nation's crop. Most California avocados are
harvested on 60,000 acres between San Luis Obispo and the
Mexican border, by about 6,000 growers. San Diego County, which
produces 40% of all California avocados, is the acknowledged
avocado capital of the nation. |
| Ingredients |
- 2 Ripe avocados (I prefer Haas avocados as mentioned
above)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 Medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Serrano chili, finely chopped
- 1 Lime
- Cilantro to taste, minced
- Salt to taste
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| Cooking
Instructions |
- Halve the avocados lengthwise, and carefully scoop
(don't scrape) out the insides (try to keep skins in tact).
Place them (the insides not the skins) into medium bowl.
- Set aside the pits and the skins for later use.
- Lightly mash the avocado with a fork.
- Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, cilantro and
salt and stir with fork until well blended, but still
chunky.
- Squeeze the lime juice over the top and give it another
light stir.
- Place pits in bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and
place in fridge for an hour.
- To serve, scoop guacamole from bowl and place back into
the avocado skins.
- Arrange on dish with cilantro bunches and a variety
tortilla chips.
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| Comments |
Serve with chips, tortillas and jalapenos. Now that's
Fatboy spicey! |
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