Guacamole

Ingredients

• Juice and grated zest of 2 limes - use a microplane to zest the limes
• 4 ripe Haas avocados

• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

• 1/2 small red onion, minced

• 1 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 tsp canned jalapeño peppers, drained and minced

• 4 very big pinches of salt

• A few grinds white or black pepper

Directions

• Zest and juice the limes into a medium bowl. Slice the avocados in half, skin, pit and then dice the avocados. As you dice each avocado, add it to the bowl and toss to coat with lime juice they don’t brown. Add the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeño, salt and pepper and stir to combine well. Don’t be tempted to mash the avocados. Leave fairly chunky. Serve with tortilla chips and a cold Margarita or good beer.

Chilled Avocado & Cucumber Soup

Ingredients 

• 2 english cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream 
• juice of 1 lime 
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin 
• salt, to taste 

Garnish options: 

• tomatoes, chopped
• avocado, chopped
• feta cheese, crumbled
• cilantro, chopped
• lobster, cooked
• crabmeat, cooked canned or fresh
• shrimp, sautéed or grilled

Directions

• Place all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours. To serve, pour the soup in decorative glasses or bowls, and garnish with chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro, and crumbled feta cheese, or splurge with a topping of cooked lobster, flaky crabmeat, or a couple of large spicy shrimp.

Greek Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Dill

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini

• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

• 4 green onions, green and white parts, chopped

• 3 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 large egg
, beaten
• 1/2 cup flour

• 4 tbsp Panko bread crumbs

• 1 tsp salt

• vegetable oil 
• tzatziki sauce

Directions

• Wash the zucchini. With the skins on, grate them with the coarse side of a grater. Sprinkle them with sea salt, to help get the moisture out, and let it rest for an hour. Remove the zucchini by the handful, squeezing to remove as much liquid as you can. You can also use a tea towel or ricer, which removes a lot of water! Put the zucchini in a bowl with herbs, feta and green onions. Mix with a fork. Add the lightly beaten egg and stir. Add flour and panko. The mixture should be wet but not watery. The mixture needs to bind, so you might need a little more flour depending on how much liquid was squeezed out of the zucchini. Add a healthy dose of salt; I prefer Maldon sea salt.
• Heat olive oil in a pan about 1/8 inch deep covering the entire pan. When hot, spoon the zucchini mixture into small patties and put them in the pan. Let them cook about 3-4 minutes or until nicely brown and golden, and then flip them over cooking another 3-4 minutes. Remove the fritters and place them on paper towel to remove some of the excess oil. Transfer the fritters to plates and garnish with a dollop of tzatziki, a sprinkle of dill and a curl or two of lemon zest. Serve warm with some more tzatziki sauce at the side. Yum-yum.