Green Garlic Guacamole

New season Green Garlic is the perfect pairing for this creamy avocado dip; because there's no cooking required, the milder flavour of early green garlic is preferable to using raw, fully mature garlic cloves. As well as being incredibly more-ish to snack on, this garlic-enhanced guacamole is bursting with nutrients: avocado provides brain-boosting Omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene (a building block of vitamin A) and other valuable phytochemicals. Garlic, of course, is packed with antioxidants, vitamin C and minerals - all far more potent eaten raw than after cooking; and lemon, tomatoes, chillies and spring onions are all rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and manganese. So whether you pair it with raw veggie crudités or traditional tortilla chips, this Green Garlic Guacamole will provide a generous helping of healthy nutrients.

Ingredients

two very ripe avocado, such as Hass
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
2-3 cloves of green garlic
2 spring onions
1 lemon, juiced
ground black pepper, to taste
2 green chillies
2 medium tomatoes

Method

Peel, chop and then mash the avocado in a bowl with a teaspoon of Maldon sea salt.
Finely chop the green garlic cloves and spring onions and stir them through the avocado mixture, thinning the puree with lemon juice (the citric acid in the lemon will also prevent discolouration of the avocado). Grind a little black pepper in, to taste.
Meanwhile, boil some water and pour over the tomatoes in a separate bowl. After a minute or two, you should be able to slip the tomato skins off, and can now finely chop the tomatoes, along with the green chillies.
Top the guacamole with the finely chopped tomatoes and chillies.

Serve this lip-smacking dip as an appetiser; spread it on sourdough toast and top with a fried or poached egg for brunch; use as a vegan alternative to mayonnaise in a sandwich or quesedilla; add to traditional Mexican tacos alongside your favourite filling, or use to top baked potato skins or fried potato cakes.