Orange & Avocado Salsa

Wooooooo hoooooooo, it's Friday! I love weekends ............... how about you?

And a very special weekend is here at The Café ................ A dear friend is coming in from out of town this afternoon and will be spending a few days with us. I'm super excited about her visit  ................ and about the reason for her visit ................
.................. you see, she's coming to celebrate! A few other lovely friends are throwing a baby shower for my sweet daughter-in-law, Lindsay. There will be lots of laughter, chattering, catching up, good food and gift-opening as several generations gather to participate in a welcome party for the new baby-to-be!

What's on your docket for the weekend? Hanging out with family? Watching a ball game? Do you have guests coming? Maybe you're going to a potluck gathering of friends. Has a new family moved into your neighborhood who might need a special, fresh treat to welcome them? I got you covered on any or all of these fronts with this delicious seasonal salsa.

The main characters in this flavorful salsa are sweet, juicy navel oranges and creamy, crowd-pleasing avocados. I zested the oranges before sectioning them adding an extra layer of citrus delight. Sweet onion, cherry tomatoes, seedless cucumbers and finely chopped jalapeño complete the cast. Of course a generous helping of chopped cilantro adds a fresh zip to any salsa, but if you're not a fan, a shower of finely chopped fresh basil will work just as well.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Orange & Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:
3 medium navel oranges
1 medium sweet onion, diced small*
½ large English (seedless) cucumber, diced small*
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 medium jalapeño, finely diced
1 large avocado, not too soft, diced in bite size pieces
zest of 1 orange, finely zested or chopped
½ cup cilantro, packed
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey, you might need a bit more depending on the sweetness of your oranges
½ teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
sea salt, a generous pinch

Instructions:
1. Place quartered tomatoes on several thicknesses of paper towels to drain. This keeps your salsa from getting too watery.

2. Cut the top and bottoms off the oranges. Following the curve of the fruit, trim off the peel and all the white pith. At this point you can either section the orange by cutting out each individual wedge between the membranes or simply slice the fruit horizontally and cut each slice into bite-size pieces.
Place orange pieces in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the juice. Allow oranges to drain for at least 5 minutes. (You won't be using the juice for this recipe - you can treat yourself or a loved one to a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice!)

3. Combine the lime juice, honey, cumin, garlic and sea salt in a medium bowl. Stir till well combined.

4. Add diced onion, cucumber and half of the jalapeño. Gently stir in avocado, drained tomatoes, drained oranges, orange zest and cilantro. Taste and add sea salt as needed and more jalapeño, if desired. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired. Serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips.*

Notes:

* ~ Can be prepared several hours in advance. Combine lime juice, honey, cumin, garlic and sea salt in a small glass jar. Cover, shake well and refrigerate. Cut up other ingredients except the avocado and keep in separate containers in the refrigerator. Combine just before serving, draining oranges and tomatoes well before adding. Peel and dice avocado. Add avocado to orange mixture and gently stir to combine.
~ This salsa is also wonderful served alongside or spooned over the top of grilled chicken, shrimp or fish.

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