Key Lime Pie

KEY LIME PIE---APRIL FOOLS!

My brother Bill and I share custody of our mother's recipe books and hand written recipe cards. I love following the progression of her cookery from the new-bride recipes for two from the early 1950s to the feed-the-family-on-the-cheap casseroles of the 60s.

Fresh trends began creeping into the Pennsylvania Dutch tin recipe box in the later 60s with Mexican and Chinese influenced dishes, and what I think of as the whole Sunset magazine California-fresh cuisine. But things really get interesting during the time frame Mom worked as a cashier at Bob's Thriftway on Main Street in downtown Bothell.

Mom was a gregarious people-person, and she collected so many wonderful recipes from customers shopping at the store---just as I have, here at the fruit market. This is one of Mom's customer's recipes, labeled "Key Lime Pie," but it's perfect for serving as an April Fool's dessert, because it's made with...avocados. The texture is silky, like a banana cream pie, and the ethical dilemma is yours: to tell or not tell what the main ingredient is!

KEY LIME PIE

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 mashed avocados (1 1/2 cups mashed avocado)

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 prepared graham cracker pie shell

In a small bowl, combine juices and gelatin, set aside. Peel, pit and mash avocados. In a blender or food processor combine avocados and milk. Process until smooth, add juice/gelatin mixture and blend. Pour into prepared pie shell and chill 4 hours. Top with sweetened whipped cream.

Celebrating the seasons with you!---Karin