Summer Recipe: Plum and Avocado Salad

Summertime and the cooking is easy. Here's a novel creation for a nice quick summer salad courtesy of food website Food52.com. A study in contrasts, this salad offers an unexpected combination of flavors and textures.  Serves 2
Ingredients:

2 medium ripe avocados
5 medium sized ripe black plums
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small clove of garlic
Several pinches sea salt (try pink himalayan salt if you can find it)
1 medium lemon
A few glugs of olive oil
1 dried red chili pepper

Directions:

• Peel the black plums and cut into cubes (worth the task of peeling!).
• Peel the avocado and cut into cubes.
• Gently place the black plum and avocado chunks into a dish -- be careful not to mix too much, otherwise the avocado mushes all over. Squeeze with lemon and sprinkle in a couple pinches of sea salt. Do not mix.
• In a mortar and pestle, smash up the garlic clove with a little salt. Add the red chili pepper and continue crushing (should still be in big messy chunks). Add the cilantro and continue to mash until the ingredients are combined. Drizzle in the olive oil (1/4 to 1/2 cup) to make the dressing, mashing well.
• Drizzle the dressing with a spoon over the plums and avocado. Salt to taste.
• Let the salad sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soak in a bit and then enjoy.