In Season - Avocado

We in Miami-Dade live in Avocado Central, when it comes to the Florida variety. Most of the avocados produced in Florida come from Homestead or the Redland. I’m an avocado lover all the way. So while I appreciate a petite Hass or California avocado, I am also devoted to our more voluptuous Florida Hardee and Donnie fruits. Yes, the avocado is a fruit!

Florida avocados used to be known as butter pears. They are not as buttery or rich as the Hass, and they contain more liquid, but they taste perfect in so many summer dishes. They are also packed full of vitamins A,C, and E, as well as unsaturated (the good kind) fat. And they are not going to be left off the fiber wagon – avocados are full of the dietary good stuff!

Avocados are in season June through January, but summer is peak season. They are everywhere you look these days! Glaser Farms sells local organic ones at the Coconut Grove Farmers’ Market. You can also get a good deal on the conventional kind at Publix. Of course, there are also lots of local folks selling the bounty of their trees from their driveway.

Here are some ideas for how to prepare our green and yellow friend. These are all cold dishes — ideal for these sweltering August days.

Easy Florida Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa

This is a quick, light, yet satisfying salsa that I sometimes like to eat plain with a spoon! You can pack it for lunch with the chips of your choice, put it on a steak, or use it in your taco. I learned how to make this salsa from the book Nueva Salsa by Rafael Palomino, Arlen Gargagliano, and Miki Duisterhof. However, after a while I ended up just doing it from memory, so it became an adaptation of the original.

TIME

20 minutes preparation time plus 20 minutes “marinating” time

INGREDIENTS

1 pint grape tomatoes

1/3 cup red onion

1/2 Florida avocado

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Optional: cilantro to top

And of course, the chips of your choice.

Using a food processor, pulse the tomatoes 3-4 times to desired chunkiness. You may have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your food processor. Tomatoes release a lot of liquid, so even if you leave large chunks, you will have plenty of liquid in your salsa. If you don’t have a food processor, there ain’t no shame in that! You can just chop the grape tomatoes in halves (or fourths, if you’re feeling particularly motivated). Next, either pulse or dice your red onion into very small pieces. Mix these with the tomatoes in a bowl. I always chop my avocado with a knife, because I fear it will acquire more of a guacamole consistency in the food processor. Add the avocado, along with the salt, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and cilantro. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to let the flavors blend and then enjoy!

Watercress, Avocado, and Mango Salad

This summer salad is effortless. It’s perfect for those South Florida days when even venturing to the mailbox is a suffocating and sweaty endeavor. Chop a watercress bunch and toss together with some chopped Florida avocado and chopped ripe mango. Annie’s Organic Papaya Poppyseed Dressing complements the avocado and softens the spicy bite of the watercress. It would probably be delicious with other tangy, slightly fruity dressings as well. Throw some sunflower seeds on top and voila!

Mock Ceviche

Eating Well magazine featured this recipe in the summer issue. Here’s the link to this sour and piquant mix of tilapia, tomatoes, avocado (I used Florida), green pepper, olives, and cilantro. It’s perfect for those delicate souls like me whose mouths water at the site of a jumbled, colorful ceviche on a spoon, but who try to avoid raw fish as much as possible.

My tasting notes: I think it’s even better the second day, after the flavors have marinated together overnight. If you are not a die-hard green olive fan, I would consider leaving those out. I think it needed a little more salt. Overall, a quick and tasty dinner for the fish lover!