KEEP IT GREEN ! . . . And I’m not only talking about guacamole.
Like many foods, the best food is the food you like and the way you like it and not always the way it’s supposed to be . . . I guess you can see where I’m going with this.
Many years ago (about ten or fifteen), the authentic and very Mexican version of this recipe was shown and explained to me by a Mexican friend Gina who was visiting Paris with Demetria (a Greek-Canadian friend and now Gina’s sister-in-law). And yes of course, it was delicious and yes indeed, I do know how to make it that way too (I think that everybody does these days, more-or-less).
Begin with mashed ripe avocados, add lime juice, fresh coriander, onion, fresh hot peppers, salt and you can stop right there for a basic version. Gina’s version was wonderfully complex because she made it how she likes it. My version is simpler and greener yet tangy, fresh, bright and sunny, like I like it.
Some folks like to add tomatoes for the red color and texture, but I prefer some green tangy bits of tomato flesh, well squeezed. Green peppers are also a nice addition and are one of my favorite vegetables to use but usually not part of the recipe either, but I grate them (like the other vegetables here so I could squeeze and press some of the juices out to reduce the wateriness of the guacamole and not overpower the avocado flavors. Garlic ? Just a bit is nice to balance everything out and to give it that Mediterranean touch and since garlic is always willingly ready to hook up with some olive oil and flat-leaf parsley, I add some of that too. The freshly crushed green peppercorns, fennel seeds and coriander seeds add intensity with brightness and freshness to the mix and work well with the lime juice to counterbalance the creamy-dreamy fattiness of the avocado.
KEEP IT GREEN, all shades of green. Yeah, “MAKE THE EARTH GREAT (and GREEN) AGAIN”. . . :)
p.s.: I hope that this global ‘greenness’ will offend no one, including some Heads of State and/or (rather orange) tweeting Presidents !
