Friday, April 26, 2013

avocado more than guacamole







In the center of the greenish -gold oval is a seed resembling a peeled chestnut that must be removed and thrown away because it is both bitter and exceedingly hard to chew. Between this and the tough rind of the skin however is a paste that the Indians consume with great relish. Soft as butter in texture, it is of a very good taste.  Gonzalo Fernandez Oviedo y Valdes;  Spanish historian.   

                                                                                                                                               Photo from microsoft images






Avocado, what a wonderful fruit. They are rich and buttery in the mouth, wonderful for the body inside and out. So many love them, yet so many have not tried them except as guacamole. I do not know if it is the color, the texture, or the look of the outer skin, that causes people to be intimidated by this food. There are those who have not ventured to try them, but they wish they had when it becomes "love at first bite".


One of the most common ways to eat avocado (besides as guacamole) is straight up out of the skin, often with a squeeze of lime and a bit of salt and pepper.  There are so many ways to eat this wonderful fruit. It can be made into a soup, salad, or on sandwiches. It is made into dips, spreads, and even into baked goods.  

Avocados should be eaten fresh. There are some who say they can be frozen and made into guacamole later. We tried it; and now we know that they are much better fresh. If it came down to freeze them or lose them, it may be alright, but the texture and color is much better fresh. 

How to pick a ripe avocado.

1. Hold the fruit in the palm of your hand
2. Give a gentle squeeze
3. If it yields to gentle pressure it is ready
4. If it feels like a rock, it needs more time to ripen
5. If it feels overly soft and squishy, or you can tell that the rind is separated from the fruit, it is overripe.



Avocado gazpacho what a wonderful treat on a hot summer day



Avocado gazpacho
serves four

1 cucumber peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots quartered
1 green bell pepper seeded and rough chopped
1 cup lettuce
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 cup chicken stock
1 avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
sour cream and dill for garnish (optional)

Puree the cucumber, garlic, shallots, pepper, lettuce, dill, and chicken stock, and 1/2 the avocado in the blender or food processor until smooth. taste for salt and pepper adding as necessary (it all depends on the salt in your stock). Dice the other half of the avocado and sprinkle with lemon juice stir into the gazpacho and then garnish with a touch of sour cream and dill if desired.



Avocado is readily available in most grocery stores across the country. They usually are reasonably priced. We get alot of them this time of year with Cinco de Mayo coming up about a week from now. Buy some and see what happens. You may be surprised; you may be like so many others, it may be love at first bite.














1 comment:

  1. What a lovely, refreshing gazpacho recipe! There really are so many wonderful things we can make with avocados. Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop. I've pinned it to my 'Avocado recipes' board.

    ReplyDelete