Avocado salad

"The salad is delicious." Words rarely (ok never) uttered by my husband. We're talking a bunch of raw veggies with some acid and a little oil. Not what he typically gets excited about. I get more compliments on dead creatures, things with bacon, etc. Not salad.

But this salad made history by earning his praise!

It came about because I needed a side to go with Indian grilled chicken legs and some Basmati rice. So I turned to my good friend eatyourbooks.com (shameless plug for the site coming). In seconds, I can search my entire collection of cookbooks for a specific course and ethnicity. I entered Indian and salad and voila! I was presented with a list of about a dozen recipes from my cookbooks. I scanned them and this one won out because I had all the ingredients on hand and it sounded fabulous.

Although the book labels it Indian, the flavors could also go with Mexican or any Latin dish - it uses lime, cumin, and cilantro, all common flavors in those cuisines. Can't wait to make it again when tomatoes are in season and fresh from the farm.

Avocado salad
Adapted from One Spice, Two Spice by Floyd Cardoz

Fresh, bright flavors come together in this amazing salad. Make it a couple hours ahead then toss in the avocado at the end.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 pint grape and/or cherry tomatoes (preferably a mix of different colors), halved
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, torn
• juice of 1/2 a lime, or more to taste
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 whole Hass avocados, ripe, but not too soft

Cooking Directions

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a small pan until fragrant. Cool slightly then grind with a mortar and pestle.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Sprinkle the lime juice over and then fold in the cumin and cayenne. Season to taste with salt. NOTE: Recipe can be made up to this point a couple hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Just before serving, halve the avocados, then carefully scoop out each half and cut into chunks. Gently fold it into the tomato mixture. Add more lime juice or salt if needed.