This is a great dip—fresh tomatoes and onion with everyone's favorite, avocados. The dressing is a snap, just whip it up with Penzeys Salsa Salad Seasoning. Plus, since the avocados can be cubed instead of mashed, they can be a bit under ripe, which is the way the grocery stores sell them anyway, so this is a perfect dish to make if you've been called to a last minute gathering.

Mix the SALSA SALAD SEASONING and CUMIN in water. Let stand five minutes. Whisk with lime juice and corn oil. Start with the lower amount of seasoning, you can add more after the salad is made if it isn't strong enough for your taste.

Core the tomatoes and dice into bite-sized pieces. If you care to, the skins can easily be removed by plunging the tomatoes briefly into boiling water and then rinsing - the skins will peel off with no trouble. We like the juice and seeds, but discard about half so the dip isn't too thin. Core and mince the red onion - leaving the pieces big enough to be eaten around by those who aren't fond of onion.

In a large serving bowl, toss the onions and tomatoes with the dressing, stirring well. Then add the avocados and toss very gently to coat without mussing up the pieces. The best way to cut avocados is to run the knife into the avocado until it hits the pit, all the way around, then twist the avocado open. Use a spoon to slide the skin right off, and pop out the pit. Then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Once the avocado has been added, use a tortilla chip to taste the dip. Some chips are saltier than others, so you may need to add more salt to the dip if the chips don't have enough. Also, more SALSA SALAD SEASONING can be sprinkled in. Cover the dip and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: enough Salsa for a regular-sized bag of tortilla chips
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: none