PASSIONATE RATIONS

Don’t ask me why it has taken me so long in life to recognize the versatility of the avocado.

Until a couple of months ago, I had been stuck in a guacamole rut.

Though I like to think I usually have an adventurous spirit when it comes to food, it didn’t occur to me that, aside from that ubiquitous party dip or an occasional slice on a sandwich, guacamole could be dressed up in other ways. A strange mental block that seems to occur with certain foods.

Then I went to a friend’s house for a potluck. She had cut a perfectly ripened avocado into thin slices and drizzled it with a vinaigrette of which one of the primary ingredients was Dijon mustard. The avocado’s creamy, slightly sweet flavor blended perfectly with the acidic tang of the dressing. I had been introduced to a perfect summer snack.

Emboldened by the experience, yesterday I endeavored to create a dressing of my own making. The results were similarly spectacular…and for very little effort. For your eating pleasure, this was my formula (created by reference to what I had lying about):

2 Tbs sherry wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
0.5 Tbs olive oil
a few dashes flax seed oil (for the Omega-3s)
1 tsp whole cardamom, coarsely ground
¼ purple onion, finely diced

Whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly, then mix in the cardamom and purple onion. Drizzle on sliced avocado and enjoy summer as you never have before.

Now, what shall I do with them next…?