Plynn’s Avocado “Booke” Salad

A few posts ago, in “Birthday Dinners & Corn on the Cob,” I mentioned a booke salad that I have been making for years.  Certainly for at least twenty years based on my recollections of birthday menus requested by my sons when they were still human, meaning they hadn’t reached their teens yet.

My husband has this to say about teenagers: When your kids hit their teens they morph from humans into strange animals that somehow are geniuses, because suddenly they know everything and you, the parents, are dumb as dirt; then in their twenties, they morph back into very nice, normal people, who actually think their parents are pretty smart and, on occasion, might even ask for your advice. The whole thing is a miracle, really.  But I digress … back to the salad …

I’ve been making my booke salad for so long, I can’t remember if it is a recipe I found, a recipe I found that inspired its composition, or if it was one of my creations inspired by leftovers and my family’s taste buds … thus named for its interesting list of random ingredients.  No matter where it originated, it’s a good one – easy – and a great summer salad, especially when avocados are at the height of their creamy deliciousness.

Plynn’s Avocado “Booke” Salad

1 medium avocado, sliced

1 medium tomato, sliced and then cut into quarters

1 green pepper, cored and sliced into ¼ inch strips

1 small package (about 8-10) button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

½ cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut in ¼ inch pieces

¾ thin slices of red or white onion, loosely chopped

12-15 green pimento olives, sliced

juice of ¼ lemon

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

Jane’s Crazy Mixed Up Salt (or your favorite seasoning salt) & Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss gently. Taste – add more lemon, oil, vinegar and seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately.  Serves 3-4 as a side salad.

I find that this combination of vegetables soaks up the dressing quickly, so I encourage you to add extra to suite your own taste. Also, bump up the ingredients you like (i.e. add more tomatoes), or cut back on the ones you don’t care for (i.e. one slice of chopped onion instead of three).  Or, double the recipe if you are serving more people. Clearly, this is booke, so all aspects of this recipe are flexible.  Enjoy making it your own.

By the way, for those of you who are navigating life with teenagers right now, hang in there.  This, too, shall pass. Keep lovin’ those strange animals. If they are like mine, they will turn into stellar human beings, whom you will be honored to call your “friends” one day.

Eat well. Be happy.