Author’s Note

While reading Butterfly Trees, you read about Alissa’s cookies, including lemon bars, and Ross’s special guacamole. I thought I would share Ross’s recipe with you. If you’d like the lemon bar recipe, visit www.gailmartin.com, and you’ll find it under the tab Gail’s Kitchen.

Prize-Winning Guacamole

Guacamole, which originated in Mexico, is a dip made from avocados. Make sure you check the ripeness of the avocados by pressing gently on the outside of the fruit, feeling for a little give. If the avocado gives too much, it is overripe.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1/2 purple onion, minced (about ½ cup)

1–2 serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded then minced

2 tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp of fresh lime or lemon juice

1/2 tsp coarse salt

dash of freshly grated black pepper

1/2 ripe tomato, seeded and pulp removed, chopped

Preparation: Cut the avocados in half. Remove seed and scoop fruit from the peel; place in a mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the avocado. Next add the chopped onion, chilies, cilantro, lime or lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mash some more into a somewhat smooth paste. Keep the tomato separate until ready to serve. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent discoloration caused by the mixture being exposed to the air. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato and mix.

Serve with tortilla chips. This serves 2–4 people.