The other night I went to Cork on 14th Street. I had the most delicious appetizer—avocado, pistachios, and sea salt, on grilled bread drizzled with pistachio oil. The avocado was perfect; the texture was velvety and it tasted nutty and buttery. I can tell you how to recreate the dish—buy the ingredients, grill the bread, assemble.
If only it were that simple! When it comes to avocados, it's not as easy as it sounds. Creating a delicious dish with avocado relies primarily on picking a perfectly ripe avocado at the supermarket or having the patience to wait for the avocado to ripen in your kitchen. This is something that I've messed up in the past, so here are some tips, including a new tip that I recently came across in The Best International Recipe from the editors of Cook's Illustrated.
- Hass avocados (92 percent of those sold in the U.S.) should be dark green to black.
- The avocado should yield to gentle pressure when you squeeze it. Make sure the avocado is not bruised, which, in the past, I have confused with ripeness. Doh!
- Pull off the stem; below the stem should be green. If it’s brown, it’s not ripe. This is the tip I didn’t know. I’m trying to imagine myself flicking off avocado stems at the super market. Not sure how well that will go. Security!
- If you buy an avocado that is not yet ripe, place it in a paper bag with a banana or an apple; this will help expedite the ripening process.
A few interesting tidbits about avocados:
- An avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable.
- They originated in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies.
- Avocados have, on average, 25 to 35 grams of fat. Yikes! Although, it's worth noting that they are the good fat and are packed full of cancer fighting agents and other health ninjas. And, according to peer trainer, one 30 gram serving is equal to 1 Weight Watcher point.
- California avocado season is April to September. For obvious reasons, I couldn't find any avocado farms in MD, DC, or VA. Sigh.
- Mild winters (warmer than 45 degrees) are necessary for growing avocado trees. You can grow your own tree in a can.
- Gordon Ramsay's Avocado and pea soup with crispy Parma ham
Did I mention that I love avocados? A lot of people like avocados, some even write haikus:
oh nubby skinned friend
sweet toothless alligator
i dig your green flesh
Photo by Flickr user Simon Goldenberg
