Katy's Guacamole

Ingredients

1 avocado

1/4 juice of lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Tabasco sauce, to taste

1 vine-ripened tomato*

finely chopped cilantro, to taste***

chopped chives or green onions, to taste

finely chopped garlic (opt.)****

Preparation

Halve, peel and seed the avocado. Place cut edges of avocado halves down on a dinner plate or cutting board. With the edge of a fork, cut up the avocado in a rough diamond pattern. Sprinkle with salt, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce and gently mash with a fork, leaving small chunks of avocado). Chop tomato finely into small cubes, letting excess juices drain away**. Finely chop the cilantro. Finely chop the chives or green part of onion. Gently fold the tomatoes, cilantro and green onions into the avocado mixture (you want small chunks of avocado).

I like one small to medium tomato added for every avocado. Don't use beefsteak tomatoes unless it is vine-ripened.

Don’t let too much of the tomato juices drain away as there’s lots of flavor in the juice.

I like to use a lot of cilantro and a lot of Tabasco sauce (unless I’m making this for a party).

Crushing the garlic will actually allow you to taste it more; guests may not prefer this at a party.