I love all sorts of dips, but guacamole during the summer with fresh ingredients really becomes my favorite. I really like using fresh local vegetables. I like a slightly spicy guacamole so I will be adding a little heat with jalapeno peppers. We love using guacamole for things like sandwiches, chips and on toast. Here is my version of the widely loved Mexican dip.

Guacamole ingredients:

2 or 3 ripe avocados (3 avocados makes it more creamy)

1/2 Vidalia onion finely chopped

1 Hanover tomato diced

1/2 jalapeno diced

2 tablespoons cilantro chopped

Zest of half a lime

Juice of 1 lime.

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

Salt and pepper

Guacamole preparation: (total time 15-20 mins)

Let’s start by setting up your cutting board with towel.

Let’s start by dicing the Vidalia onion. For instructions on dicing tomato, please refer to the Tearless Onion on how to dice an onion with minimal tears. We are looking for a fine dice which means making more cross cuts to get the desired size.

Let’s finely dice the half jalapeno. For instructions on how to cut a pepper, please refer to It’s Pepper Time. We are looking for a fine dice as well. If you like the guacamole on the spicier side, then use the whole jalapeno.

On to the Hanover tomato, let’s dice them up to a medium dice. Start by slicing the tomato from bottom to the top in 1/4 inch or less thick slices.

Stack two of the slices on top of each other and slice them into 1/4 inch strips. Roughly the same size of the slices.

Now perpendicular to the strips, cut into 1/4 inch cubes.

Roughly chop cilantro into medium size pieces.

Take the avocados, cut in half starting at the stem downward to the end then returning to stem to create two equal halves.

Now twist the two halves apart

With your knife in one hand and the avocado with the pit in the other, strike the large nut with the knife and then twist to remove the nut. Note: if you are afraid to use your knife here, you can use your fingers to remove the nut, but it will be messy.

Place a mixing bowl on your work surface, take a spoon and scoop out the avocado flesh into the bowl.

Add Hanover tomato, Vidalia onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro to the bowl

Using a fork, begin to combine the ingredients. You only want to partially combine the ingredients here, which should take about 2 minutes.

Using your microplane, zest one half of the lime into the mixture

Add the lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper to the bowl

Using your fork, mix until combined. Taste and check for salt level.

Buen provecho!

Enjoy!