Avocado Yogurt Sauce

I try to eat local foods whenever they are available and affordable, and it has been surprisingly easy since I relocated to Montana. I can get local dairy and beef from many local farms and ranches, and the Western Montana Growers Cooperative has significantly expanded local distribution of Montana produce. Because of this, for a good chunk of the year I am able to get most of my produce and staple bulk items from locally grown sources. And it's only going to get easier as the vigorous growing season approaches. 

Yet there is one particular nonlocal food that I can't seem to omit from my diet. Save for the dead of winter when their quality is particularly low, I can't resist avocados. I recently learned to be patient and buy green avocados to be ripened slowly on my counter. When I buy store ripened avocados, they are usually bruised and mostly tasteless. However, I find that if I control the ripening, letting the avocado sit for a few days, the flavor is bold and the blemishes are nonexistent. Now I always try to cook a pot of black beans on the stove on the weekend so I can eat tacos whenever my avocados decide to ripen. 

Still, despite my love for perfectly ripened avocados, I am very picky about leftover avocado. Even if I drown it in lime juice and tightly cover it with plastic wrap, I still get a mediocre tasting avocado the next day. And since I can somehow never finish an entire avocado at one time, I wanted to find a way to preserve the leftovers.  I've made avocado dill sauces for salmon in the past, but never one with yogurt and cilantro. This particular sauce is similar to guacamole, but smoother and tangier. I also find that it lasts longer in the fridge than homemade guacamole. 

The first time I decided to make this sauce, I ate it with blackened chicken. The two went really well together. Later in the week I used the sauce in veggie tacos and breakfast tacos. I tried it as a dressing for a kale salad, and it did not stand up very well. The flavor of the kale was too strong for the dressing to come through. I might try it again with a chopped salad. 

Avocado Yogurt Sauce
adapted from Eating Well

makes about 8 oz

1/2 an avocado
1/2 c yogurt, plain
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c cilantro or about a handful
1 Tbsp of lime juice or more to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Eat on grilled chicken and fish or on any kind of taco. Store in the fridge an use within 3 to 5 days.

Breakfast taco with black beans, egg, cabbage, and avocado sauce