Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad: 15 Min

Instructions:

1. Prep the produce. Dice the cucumbers and halve the tomatoes into uniform sizes. Mince the red onion finely. Note: Keeping sizes consistent means you get a bit of everything in one spoonful.
2. Pulse the pesto base. Place the 1/2 cup basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Listen for the sound to change from a crunch to a thud.
3. Create the emulsion. While the processor is running, slowly stream in the olive oil and lemon juice. Continue blending until the mixture is a smooth, vibrant green emulsion. Note: Streaming the oil slowly prevents the pesto from separating.
4. Combine the base. Toss the cucumber, tomatoes, and minced onion in your large mixing bowl.
5. Add the creaminess. Gently fold in the cubed avocado. Note: Add the avocado now so it doesn't get over handled during the pesto mixing.
6. Apply the glaze. Pour the fresh pesto over the top of the vegetables. The smell of the garlic and basil should be intense and fresh at this stage.
7. The final fold. Use your silicone spatula to fold the ingredients together. Do this slowly until every piece is coated in the pesto glaze but the avocado cubes remain intact.
8. The finishing touch. Sprinkle the chiffonade basil over the top and give it one last, very gentle toss. Look for a glistening, velvety sheen on the cucumbers.