The Loveliness of Limes, in Three Verses with Recipes

The first verse is about Avocado Lime Cream. It’s early March and, odd as it may seem, both avocados and limes are in season. So are shellfish. Here’s a sneak preview of a way they’re put together in my next cookbook, Bold (co-authored with Susanna Hoffman, Workman, November, 2013). We developed the recipe as avocados and lime juice swirled together with jalapeno chili pepper and light cream to enhance a lobster taco.

Avocado Lime Cream
The cream and lime juice keep the avocado fresh and bright, even overnight so, unlike with many avocado preparations, the flavor is just as lively the next day. Photos by Rick Wise

The mix is a bit like guacamole gone uptown with cream to smooth and lighten the basic mash, lime and jalapeno providing the pizzazz. It has many applications beyond that original recipe, though. As well as lobster, it can sauce shrimp or crayfish or serve as dip for tortilla chips or a platter of crisp winter vegetables (crudites), such as carrot sticks, raw baby Tokyo turnips, and/or blanched cauliflower florets, to suggest a few. That’s a lot of mileage out of an avocado!

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

2 ripe but still firm Hass avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into chunks

Homegrown limes (yes, they’re yellow) and perfectly ripe avocados for the Avocado Lime Cream.

1 jalapeno or 2 serrano chili peppers, stemmed and coarsely cut up (seeds are okay if you don’t mind; I don’t)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 teaspoon or so kosher salt

1. Combine the ingredients in a food processor and process to a smooth puree. Adjust the salt seasoning and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve, up to several hours, or refrigerate for up to overnight.