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Guacamole has been a staple in the Mexican culture for over 500 years.  On a trip to central Mexico, I discovered Avocados bigger than my hands.  They were enormous and plentiful. While our avocados are not nearly as big they are certainly as creamy and tasty as the ones I had back then.  The chef at our little hotel was kind enough to explain how he made his guacamole.  The simple ingredients come together for a perfect summer dip.

• Avocados: I use 3 of our Brunch Box large ripe avocados when I make Guacamole. (or 5-6 small ones).  Slice in half, remove the pip and scoop them into a mixing bowl. Then use a fork to gently mash them to your desired level of chunky or smooth.

• Onion: I use ½ a white onion which is most often used in Mexico, but you could use red onion as well if you prefer the flavour. Finely dice it.  The smaller the better.

• Tomatoes: I prepare a tomato by slicing a small cross in the skin on the top and drop in a bowl with boiled water for 2-3 mins. This will allow you to peel the tomato easily.  I also remove the seeds and just use the skinned, deseeded flesh of the tomato.  This gives you all the tomato flavour and none of the tough skin or seed liquid.  No one wants a watery guac.  Again chop it fairly finely.

• Coriander: You either love it or hate it, but I love it! It’s one of my favourite herbs and a staple in Mexican cuisine. Use as much or as little as you like.  I usually have a good handful where I pick off the leaves and roughly chop them. 

• Jalapeno: Or any chili.  If you only have ones from a jar it will still be fine!  Start with less, you can always add more 😊 Remove the seeds if you like it less spicy.  Chop it very finely

• Crushed Garlic: Some people like their guac with garlic, others like it without.  This is the one and only time when one clove is probably enough.  But you can add as much as you like

• Lime: Freshly squeezed lime if you can get it. Limes can be hard to get in New Zealand so lemon can be used at a push.  Lime is the traditional flavour profile and adds a bright zing to your guac. 

• Salt and pepper: A good pinch of both brings it all together I promise

Add the mashed avocado, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, lime juice and salt and stir everything together. That’s it. Taste it and adjust anything. 

Team it up with tortillas cut into triangles and brushed with garlic flavoured oil and salt, baked for 5-6 minutes in the oven or I serve mine with rice crackers 

Brunch is the best, right? Weekends are for relaxing, browsing the markets, picking up fresh ingredients and heading home to cook a delicious meal - or visiting a cafe to try something new. Weekends are for afternoon naps if you feel like it, and in the evening maybe grabbing a bite before heading to the movies, or dining out with friends. Weekends are amazing.

But our beloved routine changed drastically when our children arrived. Hot tip: having children and relaxing are not compatible.

A long time before we began Brunch Box, we started an avocado subscription business in our local area. We taste tested a lot of avocados and discovered not all of them are created equal. We were completely fed up with the lucky dip of supermarket avocados. 

Everyone's familiar with the tense moment of cutting into a ripe avocado: Will it be a beautiful specimen or will it be bruised? Will it be stringy? Will it have a massive stone and barely any green goodness? Will we actually be eating avocado, or was it a waste of money? 

Sourcing directly from the grower is a crucial part of avocado success. Our avos aren't cool stored, which is critical to preserving the flavour. There is significantly less handling, which means less bruising. We deliver the avocados unripe, so you need to wait patiently for them to get to eating stage.

The best way to store them is on the kitchen bench, out of direct sunlight. This is important, because the sun will burn the avocado skin but not heat it all the way through, so you'll end up with an avo that's still raw in some parts and squishy in others.

Having your avocados delivered weekly means that you shouldn't need to wait long before another one is ready, which is brilliant when they are a regular feature on your menu.

The Different Stages of Ripening:

1. This avocado is freshly picked, green and full of promise! The good fat in an avocado is what gives them their delicious flavour. As the season goes on and the fat level rises, they will ripen faster as the weather warms up.
2. This avocado is darkening up but don't be tempted to cut into it just yet - it's not ready! The skin will yield slightly but it's not ripe the whole way through just yet, so wait a little longer. If you have too many ready to eat, this is a good time to pop some in the fridge to slow down their ripening time.
3. Ripe! Today is the day! Check the avocado flesh gives a little when you press it. Another sign is being easily able to push the stem into the body of the fruit. Cut that beauty open and enjoy.

The waiting bit is not so easy when you love avocado, but there are some things you can do to speed it up.

• Avocados ripen faster with a gentle, even heat. If you have a hot water cupboard, that's the fastest way to speed up the process.
• Fruit like bananas, apples or kiwifruit release a natural ethylene gas which can also quicken ripening. Place your avocados in a paper bag together with some of these or put them alongside each other in the fruit bowl.

Remember avocados will ripen faster as we get further into summer. In October they take 7-10 days, but in March it's 3-4 days. 

An amazing avocado is such a delight to eat, and they are very nutritious, containing loads of different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are high in fibre - 14 grams per fruit! - and omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for our hearts. 

Delicious AND good for us - have we found the perfect fruit? 🥑

A quality sourdough is such a different experience to eat from standard supermarket bread, and its much better for you. Sourdough is a great source of nutrients and vitamins, is lower G.I, and higher in soluble fibre and protein.

As delicious as it is, it's not always convenient to eat the entire loaf in one day, so we've put together some tips for how to look after your sourdough.

Storage:

Sourdough is best stored wrapped in a teatowel at room temperature, or if you are a regular sourdough eater, we highly recommend investing in an XL beeswax wrap. We've been experimenting and the results are impressive - using a wrap easily extends the life of the bread by 2-3 days. It stays noticeably softer using the wrap instead of a teatowel. We love the Little & Kind wraps, now available in the bread section. They come in 4 amazing prints, so not only do they take good care of your bread, but its like a party in your kitchen. 

Freezing:

If you're not going to get through your bread any time soon, feel free to pop it in the freezer. It freezes beautifully and if you freshen it up in the oven after defrosting, you'll barely notice a difference between your loaf and one baked fresh on the day.

Freshen It Up:

Use this method for older sourdough or if its been in the freezer.

1. Defrost bread if needed.

2. Heat oven to 160 degrees.

3. Flick some water droplets over the loaf, and pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven when its heated through and allow to cool to room temperature.

Ta-da! Your loaf is back to its delicious best.