The toughest part of making fresh guacamole is the avocados, both choosing a ripe one and getting it pitted and skinned without maiming the important parts.

If you press on the skin, it should be slightly soft, but not too soft. If it is hard, the avocado is not ripe, if it is very soft, then it’s overly ripe and will not taste right.

Try slicing it vertically right at the center until you hit the pit. Next turn the avocado around the blade so that you cut all the way around the pit. Turn the two halves in opposite directions.

One of the halves will still have the pit, so try to gently pry the pit out with your knife.

Scoop the flesh out of the skin and put into a bowl.

Once you have scooped all of the avocados, mash them with a fork or potato masher.

Mix in the garlic, onion and tomatoes while mashing the avocado a but more.

Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the mixture.

Add the salt and pepper, then mix in well.

Serve with some chips and garnish with slices of the tomato if you have any left over.

You can also use fresh guacamole on sandwiches, burgers or any number of other meals.

Ingredients

4 ripe avocados

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 serrano pepper, chopped

1 lime

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 or 2 plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 tsp salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

The Lazy Herbivore is a weekly vegetarian recipe column designed for vegetarians with little time on their hands, or little effort to put into cooking.

To ask questions, suggest recipes, talk about vegetarian stuff, or just belittle his writing abilities, e-mail John at jberry@timesherald.com or call 610-272-2500 x204.