Nabal avocado recipe wins Guacamole Contest at Avocado Festival in Carpinteria

CARPINTERIA, Calif.-One of the highlights of the annual Avocado Festival in Carpinteria is the Guacamole Contest held on the final day of the Peace, Love and Guacamole celebration.

As Spencer the Gardner sang about avocados, judges tallied their scores the scores.

Emcees Rebecca Brand and Arthur Von Wiesenberger announced the winners.

Nicholas Rogers put his name on the entree, but he credited his wife Grace for the winning recipe.

"My mother-in-law, his mom, has an avocado orchard, so we, in Camarillo make guacamole all the time using Nabels," said Grace Rogers.

Nabal avocados are know for being round, and creamy with a greenish-yellow flesh.

Rogers said they experiment all the time.

She said her magic recipe started off with 3 limes, 1 lemon, tomatoes, finely chopped cilantro, onion, garlic powder, onion powder, a pinch of garlic salt and table salt.

Rogers said they didn't know the contest was "so fancy" and that there was a Best Presentation trophy, so, they just put their guacamole in plastic containers.

Judges including Alan Parsons, Fred Brander, Lyn Fairly, Ingrid Bostrom, Brendan Smith, Gregg Carty, George Leis, Nirasha Rodriguez and Lt. Rich Brittingham , and Tracy Lehr had the delicious and difficult task of tasting 19 recipes with Taco Works Tortilla Chips of San Luis Obispo.

Rogers posed for photos with her husband, three daughters and their dog outside the tent where said she was shocked to win, "for something that we do at home all the time, I give them each half an avocado to make their own guacamole however they like it."

Honorable mention went to a entrant named Lauren who had a spicy recipe with a creative presentation.

She chose not to share her secret ingredient. 

Renee Hennessee won Best Presentation.

Hennessee put her guacamole in the center of a wooden Ukulele tray lined with bright orange mums.

In addition to trophies the winners won a gift bag of avocado festival souvenirs.

The Rogers name will be engraved on a trophy that will stay with the festival.

If you missed out this year remember you can try your luck at next years guacamole contest.

For information visit https://www.avofest.org