Sliding my teeth into the smooth, creamy flesh of a perfectly ripe avocado reminds me of summer vacations by the beach with my grandmother. I can feel the engulfing sunshine on my arms, and the familiar give of the striped fabric pulled over the beach chairs while sand squished between my toes.
It also reminds me of family trips to Florida over Thanksgiving that we used to take every year. We would go to Mack’s Groves in Lauderdale by the Sea, drink delicious fruit smoothies and order oranges sent to our house. Before leaving, my grandmother would spy the fresh fruits and veggies by the exit, picking up a few oranges, grapefruits and an avocado or two . . . (Sadly, while writing this, I learned that the Lauderdale by the Sea location has been closed. I can’t tell you how sad that makes me. Not because it was a great store, but because I feel like I am losing parts of my childhood one by one these days . . . and it stinks.)

I love memories like that. It makes me want to head back to the familiarity of Lauderdale by the Sea – the place where I first had tasted a Pixy Stick, sitting with my mother and grandmother on a bench looking out at the water. It was my first time there, and we were staying in the pink hotel — if you’ve been there, you probably know what I am talking about. That was followed by at least a dozen more trips to Lauderdale by the Sea, but we’d always hit the same few spots – Mack’s, Shooter’s, the Galleria, Zucharelli’s (an Italian restaurant) . . .

But this isn’t about Lauderdale by the Sea. It’s about avocados. I swear.

On sandwiches, in sushi or as guacamole, avocados add a blush of warm flavor to whatever they accompany. I, personally, love the flavor of avocados and lime together and this recipe delivers on that. This is tasty with a simple grilled fish, with tortilla chips or on sandwiches – where ever you want it, really.

Lime Guacamole
serves 4, as a condiment
serves 2, as a dip

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to mash until creamy, but with some chunkiness remaining.

I love pesto. I make a million different variations of pesto. Pesto is my friend. Unfortunately, my husband isn’t as fond of it though. Too bad for him. But, that means more for me (and Will).

Pestos are great to use on sandwiches, in pastas, on toasted breads, on vegetables … oh, there are a million great applications. This particular pesto is as simple as it comes, but it was fantastic on a sandwich I made the other day (more on that later this week).

Truth be told, this isn’t really a pesto though. According to The New Food Lover’s Companion, a pesto is an uncooked sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and olive oil. In Italian, the word pesto literally means pounded (as in the process for making the traditional pesto sauce. So really, this recipe doesn’t qualify as a true pesto. After all, it’s missing all of the ingredients, save the oil. Nonetheless, Simple Italian Sandwiches calls it a pesto.

I guess this is just an example of how the vocabulary of food is an ever changing entity. It doesn’t have absolutes. Definitions are expanded and changed. Sometimes there is a call to return to classical definitions, sometimes the food community just goes with it.

In this case, I am just going with it . . .

Whatever you want to call it, the sweet sun-dried tomatoes in oil are a tasty condiment. And I have big plans for the leftovers.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Yields 1 cup
From Simple Italian Sandwiches by Jennifer and Jason Denton and Kathryn Kellinger

4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (dry-packed, not oil packed)
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Put the tomatoes into a medium bowl and pour olive oil over. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Put the sun-dried tomato mixture into a food processor and pulse until its paste-like. Mine still had some serious chunks in it, but I like it that way.

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within one week.

———————————————–

Other pestos from Sarah’s Cucina Bella:

• Sundried Tomato Pesto Spread
• Spinach Pesto Sans Garlic Spread
• Olive Pesto Hummus Dip
• Basil Mint Not Pesto Sauce

This is my contribution for Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays this week. Check out Cate’s site later tonight for a round-up of great antioxidant rich recipes and dishes that help you get your 5-A-Day in . . .

1 cup baby spinach, packed
½ cup walnuts
½ cup shredded romano
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste.

Cucina Bella notes:

This recipe was born out of necessity. My husband tolerates pesto, but hates the garlic in it. I, on the other hand, love pesto for the garlic. Nonetheless I wanted to find a compromise of sorts – a garlic-free pesto that could be spread onto sandwiches, mixed into pastas or spread across meats or fish.

This recipe did not disappoint. It’s a very tasty spread that I used to make some very tasty appetizers. I also used it inside a special chicken dish that I will write about tomorrow.

If you want to use this with pasta, add two tbsp of cold water to the recipe when processing. That will give it a consistency that is better for the application.

This dip has beans, good fats, and packs a punch in the flavor department. I took it to my mother’s birthday party recently where it received rave reviews — even from those who don’t normally like hummus or olives. We ate it with tortilla chips, but it could easily be eaten with cut up veggies as well.

This dip can also double as a sandwich spread or can be mixed together with pasta.

Since it contains garlic – a great source for antioxidants – it’s a perfect entry for ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays over at Sweetnicks. Check out her site for a round up Tuesday night.

1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp lemon juice
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup fat free buttermilk
1 cup olives, chopped

Combine all ingrediants except olives in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.

Stir in olives (don’t process).

Serve with cut up vegetables or tortilla chips.

This dip has beans, good fats, and packs a punch in the flavor department. I took it to my mother’s birthday party recently where it received rave reviews — even from those who don’t normally like hummus or olives. We ate it with tortilla chips, but it could easily be eaten with cut up veggies as well.

This dip can also double as a sandwich spread or can be mixed together with pasta.

Since it contains garlic – a great source for antioxidants – it’s a perfect entry for ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays over at Sweetnicks. Check out her site for a round up Tuesday night.

1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp lemon juice
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup fat free buttermilk
1 cup olives, chopped

Combine all ingrediants except olives in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.

Stir in olives (don’t process).

Serve with cut up vegetables or tortilla chips.