We spent the last 24 hours in Branson, Missouri. The traffic in Branson is some of the worst I've ever seen. That was pretty much my take-away (oh, and I need a tan).
Happy Memorial Day! Here's a great summer appetizer...
One thing I really don't like about Missouri is the darkness at night. I'm a firm believer in daylight. All daylight, all the time. So aside from the wind, rain, and 50* temperatures, summer in Alaska agreed with me. Or, shall we say, it was tolerable. Why SHOULDN'T it be daylight all the time in the summer? I don't like the dark. I know it sounds odd...I watch some pretty "dark" shows..Dexter, The Walking Dead, True Blood...but I enjoy the daylight. So that, I'm finding, is a rough adjustment.
Another thing that was slightly disappointing: Avocados are still over $1 a piece. Granted, I didn't expect an avocado tree to fall into my lap (though that'd be nice). But hey, can't win them all.
One thing I like about Missouri: the sweet corn. Just a regular old 30-cents-an-ear-piece of sweet corn packs more flavor than you could imagine. In Alaska, corn was always like 60 cents an ear, and it usually wasn't any good, so we didn't buy it. In PA, corn doesn't start tasting good until July/August. In this pseudo-southern state though? It's already amazing in May. I'm not sure where the grocery stores get the corn...but I like it.
I took my guacamole recipe, and put some sweet corn in it. Nothing screams "summer!" more than guacamole.
Corn and Tomato Guacamole
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
2 garlic cloves (grated or finely minced)
Juice of 1 lime
3 T of chopped cilantro
1 Roma tomato, finely chopped (or a small handful of grape tomatoes, diced)
1/4 cup of sweet or red onion, finely chopped
1 ear of corn, shucked
1/2 t salt
In a small mixing bowl, mash the avocados. Blend all the other ingredients into the avocados, adding more salt to taste, if necessary. Cover and store in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. It'll last a day in the fridge, but is best if eaten immediately.
