Avocado love for my colleagues

@postaday 85; #postaday2011

Today I brought some avocados to work and made some guacamole on the artists’ table. It’s  a spot that is high enough for lots of counter work and chopping, and it was clear so I could use it. Wish I had that kind of space in my kitchen, and I wish I had people coming in and passing by and saying hi and watching what I was doing for a little bit. It was fun. It’s what I like to do.

My mother-in-law wanted fruit trees in her yard back in the early 1960s when they purchased their Hawaii Kai home. So we have an avocado, a Meyer lemon, several lime trees and an orange tree. A lychee tree got yanked when it didn’t produce fruit. A mango tree died of natural causes. The avocado tree has been good to us for a long time. This year the fruit didn’t drop until quite late in the season, about two months later than usual. Blame global warming? Polar shifts? Drought-like conditions? I dunno!

Since Sophie has gone to Maui for the weekend, I was faced with a big bowl of avocados to prepare. She’s Fan #1 when it comes to guacamole, right before her dad.  Since our department was going to have a meeting today, I volunteered to make some guacamole and bring some chips.

You can’t make guacamole the night before. It gets ugly. It might still taste OK, but it turns into some kinda disgusting color reminiscent of bad shag carpets from the 1970s. When I loaded the van with Sophie and her bags this morning, I slid a tray of avocados in the back. I packed my masher, a cutting board, some salsa, and a big spoon.

Guacamole can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. My version today was very simple. Mash and mix in some salsa, add salt. Yep, I should have brought a lime to brighten it up, but I forgot. I was hopeful the saltiness of the chips would make up for that. I don’t know if my colleagues were just being gracious or if they really liked it, but they finished it all, leaving behind a big pit to roll around in the bottom of the pan. That made me happy.

I can go an entire season without eating any guacamole. I can look for them, gather them, and shake the ants off. I can split and scoop. I can mix them with salsa, or chopped onions, jalapenos, cilantro, tomatoes, olives and citrus. I can do all that and not eat it. I’m just not in the mood.

Years ago sister-in-law #1 taught me how to make California rolls, and that’s usually what I make on New Year’s Eve. But this year I had to buy avocados to do that. I also like to have guacamole for Super Bowl Sunday, but alas, none had yet fallen. Finally, around Valentine’s Day, we started getting some. And now, with the ripe ones dropping  — as heavy as two pounds or as small as an egg — the buds for next year are already starting to pop.

I appreciate a tree with so much optimism. And I appreciate an opportunity to show a little lovocado to my colleagues at work.

Look! They loved me back!