California 31st State

California

Have you ever tasted an avocado or eaten guacamole? For those of us who live in Southern California, we take avocados for granted. Some of us even have avocado trees in our backyard. A homegrown avocado is delicious. Now, because avocados are green, many children are reluctant to taste them at first. For most people though, once you taste them, they are so yummy you can't get enough! I like fresh avocados with a bit of lemon or lime juice and a sprinkling of seasoned salt. Cut them in half, remove the large pit, and then eat with a spoon straight from their skin/shell.

The other way that I love to eat avocados is in guacamole. There are different ways to make it but basically, you mash up the avocados, season with maybe some lemon juice, salt, chopped up onions, tomatoes and cilantro (and a bit of chopped jalapeño peppers if you like it spicy). Then scoop it up with tortilla chips and enjoy! ¡Qué sabroso!

Caption: Greetings from Fallbrook, a pleasant rural community in north San Diego County. Visitors here find an abundance of productive orchards, hometown-style shopping, and skilled local craftsmen and artisans. Photos © Jerry Hendricksen and Tim Sumner.