Guacamole: Can anything top that?

This July is inaugural World Guacamole Month, initiated by the World Avocado Organisation.

Locally grown, South Africans are gifted with an abundance of this fruit that offers potassium, fibre and a multitude of essential vitamins and minerals; not to mention it’s the most satisfying stay-at-home comfort-food hit you can have without the need for even a hint of over-indulgence guilt.

Avocados are in season right now, so there is never going to be a better time to buy, with various varieties on shelf at the moment, both green-skinned and dark-skinned.
A traditional guacamole is made by mashing ripe avocados – smooth or chunky, as desired – then adding chopped tomato, onion, fresh coriander, salt and lime juice to taste.

Now, imagine adding instead ingredients like soy sauce, spring onion, hot peppers, wasabi, pickled ginger, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, nori, miso or even Japanese bonito flakes (dried tuna flakes with a flavour between anchovies and bacon).

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And imagine that all piled on top of an aromatic stack of freshly griddled spring onion pancakes!

Or bring your guacamole home with a bit of biltong dust and a scattering of piquanté peppers, surround your guac bowl with a host of fresh crudité and see what the family has to say, or use your guacamole creation to cap some local culinary greats – think boerewors rolls or right-off-the-fire braai bread.

Top your steak, your chesa nyama chops, your fire-roasted mielies.

Top a fritter, a samosa or a crispy fried pap patty.

And when you’ve satisfied your homegrown palate, go global again.

Add tomato, basil and lemon for a guacamole to use on a pizza base instead of tomato sauce and cheese, add sumac and zaatar for a lovely Middle Eastern guacamole-hummus smash-up, or channel Scandinavia with sour cream and dill.

Basic guacamole (serves 4)
Total time: 10 mins
Ingredients
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
2 spring onions chopped
1 small tomato, diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
Fresh coriander to garnish
Method
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until well combined.
Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with fresh coriander.
Serve as a dip with your favourite snacks, such as corn tortillas, crisps, droëwors or crudités.

Guacamole three ways
Spicy corn, black bean and chipotle guacamole (serves 4 to 6)
Prep time: 15 mins
Ingredients
3 large ripe avocados
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon chipotle paste (optional)
½ can sweet corn, drained
½ can black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice and zest of one lime
Pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
Peel and roughly chop the avocados, add the remaining ingredients and mix gently to combine.
Serve immediately.

Chunky guacamole (serves 4 to 6)
Prep time: 15 mins
Ingredients
2 large ripe avocados
1 large ripe tomato, deseeded and diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon coriander, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime
Method
Peel and roughly chop the avocado, mix gently with the remaining ingredients.
Serve with a big squeeze of lemon and season well with salt and black pepper. Garnish with chilli (optional).

Pomegranate and lime guacamole (serves 4 to 6)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 ripe avocados
2 limes, juice and zest
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Method
Peel and roughly chop the avocado, gently mix with the remaining ingredients, reserving half the pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,  or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za