Avocadoes

[ludja]

I made a great dish a few years ago that uses avocado in an unusual way.  It's scallopine of veal, napped with a truffle cream sauce and then topped with thin cold slices of avocado.  I think I got the idea from an issue of Saveur.  Very tasty.

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I think I remember this recipe; seem to recall it was from a small place in Florence (making the avocado even more surprising); probably in a December issue b/c I think it was part of a New Year's party. Nice to know the combo works.

Edited February 18, 2005 by ludja (log)

[TJHarris]

A number of years ago, I entered an avocado recipe contest with a savory herb and chili chiffon cake with an avacado mousse filling and a bean salad.

Looking back, I don't know what I was thinking.

[cakewalk]

Avocados have been amazingly cheap the past few weeks in NY ($1.29 each, which is a tremendous bargain here, since they're usually about $2 apiece). So I've been buying and eating them, and I have a couple hanging around which are now at the perfect state of readiness. And I just recently got home from work, starving and ready to eat just about anything in sight.

However, properly chastised by "that other thread," I left the veggie burgers in the freezer. Instead, I mashed up an avocado, squeezed in some lime juice (heh, I still laugh at the fact that I have limes hanging out in my fridge as a regular thing nowadays), S&P, red pepper flakes, and some good cheese with black peppers in it (what's that called?) on WW bread. No garlic only because I was too hungry to peel and mince fresh garlic, and I can no longer bear the thought (or the taste) of garlic powder.

That was a good sandwich.

[twodogs]

Check out our roasted avocado with truffles at

ideasinfood

[Sam Salmon]

Avocados have been amazingly cheap the past few weeks in NY ($1.29 each, which is a tremendous bargain here, since they're usually about $2 apiece).

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I may have posted about this before-the apparent disparity between Avocado prices in different US cities and Canada.

The standard price I see everywhere in Vancouver for medium sized Hass Avocado is $C0.69.

I regularly buy 2 for $C1.00!

Why are prices so much higher in the USA?

These are Mexican Avocados from Tanticaro Michoacan trucked right through the USA.

Someone somewhere in the USA has the market sewn right up and is making tremendous profits.

[fifi]

Hmmm . . . Did I read somewhere that there are some sort of restrictions on importing avocados from Mexico here? We do get them in from Chile, I think. However, I have gotten really suspicious of those. Too many times when I buy them, they are riddled with internal black spots. I suspect that they were held at too low a temperature during shipping.

I have always wished that we got more different kinds of avocados here. We seem to only get the Haas and those awful, watery green things from Florida.

[Sam Salmon]

We seem to only get the Haas and those awful, watery green things from Florida.

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LOL!

I've been seeing those marketed as 'low fat' Avocados-a contradiction terms if ever there was one.

Maybe not though those 'other ones' do have less oil-which equated to an insipid taste and dreadful texture-a total waste of money at any price IMO.

[PurpleDingo99]

Just the other day I tried stuffing a halved one with canned crab and chili powder and covered the thing in cheese and broiled it. It was good, but neeeded more texture. Any suggestions? Im thinking peppers or shallots, but i think i could do better.

[chromedome]

I am always mystified at the passion avocadoes arouse. To me, they've always been a mouthful of lard with an aftertaste of new-mowed grass. The only two avocadoes I've bought in the last decade have been for my wife to mash into her scalp and hair.

However, as noted upthread, about the only avocadoes we get here in the Great White North are Hass and "those <expletive> Florida things," so I may be doing a disservice to the other gazillion varieties out there. In the interest of international amity among foodies, I hereby pledge to try the damned things again if I ever find myself down in Mexico.

(....but some of you have to promise to give okra another shot.... )

[maremosso]

Heating avocadoes makes them bitter. When making soups, it's better to add cold avocado puree to the basic stock, and serve without re-heating.

[Septemberdog61]

Adding cold pieces of avocado to any hot soup is wonderful. The cool and smoooth texture goes very well with hot soup. Chicken soup, asopao, black bean, tortilla soup, split pea, lentil, etc. It's all good.

[JSkilling]

I put it in my lime sorbet to give it body and weight. But you don't really taste the avocado there. I like it as an ice cream or shake and eat one just about every single day on top of sliced ham, turkey and spicy cheese. Yum! I can also vouch for it over nicely scrambled eggs. Hell, I'd even mash it in my hair as well, Chromedome!!

I wish they'd get cheaper...

[JohnStewart]

I used to work in a place that served an avocado "foie gras", pan seared avocado in a very hot pan with whole cloved of garlic.

we served it with snow pea shoots and fresh tomatoes in a truffle oil vin. it was delicious. A neat bright green oil cooks out of them. We got the idea because Coyote Cafe used to pan sear avocados. I guess the high saturated(?) fat content make them excellent for pan searing.

Also has anyone played with the giant avocados that are out there. When I asked about them at a supermarket I was told that you couldn't get them at restaurants, but he didn't know why.

[Verjuice]

I really like them mashed onto good plain sourdough. With maldon sea salt.

It's got to be sourdough though, so the whole thing tastes like cultured butter disguised as a vegetable.

Avocados are intriguing. And addictive. And you could feed your three Great Danes for the same amount of money that it would cost you to make guacamole twice a week. I have a friend who actually struck a deal with herself: Quit smoking and use the "extra" dough to afford yourself the of luxury of one or two avocados per day. Clever girl.

Edited February 21, 2005 by Verjuice (log)

[Jaymes]

I buy my avocados at Sam's. They're excellent. I can't remember the last time I got a bad one. They come in a bag of five for $3.88, which works out to be less than .78 each.

For that price, we eat just as many avocadoes as we darn well please. Which is a lot.

[fifi]

. . . . .

Also has anyone played with the giant avocados that are out there.  When I asked about them at a supermarket I was told that you couldn't get them at restaurants, but he didn't know why.

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I am wondering what you are meaning by giant avocados. I almost literally ran into an avocado tree on Maui that had these stupendous avocados. The restaurant and lodge at Kula was where we stopped for breakfast doing the Haleakala Downhill bicycle ride. I was laying on the grass outside looking up at this big tree noticing the cantaloupe sized fruits hanging there. They were avocados. I asked the proprietor about this and she said that the seed was very small and the fruit high fat, better than a Haas. Alas and alack, they weren't even near ripe but I could just imagine.

[iheartoffal]

I did a truffled avocado tartar with tempura vegetables and balsamic reduction the other day the other day. It came out of fooling around in the kitchen on my break (I'm a waiter) but the owner liked it so much that we ran it as a special that night. I was shocked! It's basically:

1 avocado roughly chopped

1 tsp minced shallot

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp white truffle oil

salt and pepper to taste

I just tossed it in a ring mold and served with a medley of tempura veggies and balsamic reduction.

If someone can figure out a way to make this better, let me know.

[stephenc]

Hell, I'll eat avocados straight up, with a bit of lime and salt. I love them

[Mrs. P]

The truffled avocado tartar sounds amazing! Might try that with dinner (shrimp tacos with avocado). So far today I have had avocado on toast with lime & salt (breakfast), and an avocado-beef salad (lunch). We have 10 ripe avocadoes left of the 20 we recieved - and they are all perfectly ripe! We're giving some more away, but I'm hoping we can get through them before they turn brown!

Does anybody think avocado puree/slices will freeze well? I might take a stab at it tonight as a test.

These are Mexican Hass avocadoes, and are quite good. These have a fattier taste than Chilean Hass avocadoes, though I do not know if it is just the taste profile of the ones we received or if that is the normal flavor of Mexican hass avocadoes. I steer clear of the giant florida ones (even after trying them fresh while I lived in Florida). I found them too watery, too stringy and flavorless.

On a recent trip to Chile I picked up a bottle of avocado oil, which was quite pricey. I tasted it alone and with bread. I found it to have a very neutral flavor at first, followed by a bitter aftertaste much like cooked avocado. Adding salt did not help. They might heat process the oil - who knows. I plan to try it on a salad as a test, but think it might turn more bitter if used for cooking. Does anybody else have experience using avocado oil?

[emmalish]

I've never even seen avocado oil. Too bad it's not as tasty as it sounds.

I love adding tomato, avocado and a bit of parmesan to my scrambled eggs (all added at the very end, just as the eggs are finishing cooking). And avocado spread on toast is great -- I'll have to try it with lime next time. I also like adding it to burgers (not added to the burger itself, but layered with the lettuce, tomatoes, etc.). Mmmm, now I'm craving something avocado-ey.

[SobaAddict70]

I tried them in an uncooked pasta sauce once.

You'll need

Avocadoes (one is plenty)

Really really ripe tomatoes

Bermuda or Vidalia onion

Fresh basil

EVOO

A clove of garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked pasta, drained.

Pit and chop avocadoes. Seed and chop tomatoes. Mince onion and garlic. Combine with EVOO, salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta, add more EVOO to your heart's content, top with torn basil leaves. Eat and swoon.

Soba

[Mrs. P]

I've never even seen avocado oil. Too bad it's not as tasty as it sounds.

I love adding tomato, avocado and a bit of parmesan to my scrambled eggs (all added at the very end, just as the eggs are finishing cooking). And avocado spread on toast is great -- I'll have to try it with lime next time. I also like adding it to burgers (not added to the burger itself, but layered with the lettuce, tomatoes, etc.). Mmmm, now I'm craving something avocado-ey.

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I agree - Avocadoes and eggs are a great combo. I like them with coddled eggs - in a ramekin spoon a bit of tomato sauce, crack an egg on top, add a dash of cream, S&P, cheese. Bain-marie in the oven for ~20 mins, cubed avocado on top, S&P, and serve.

[Phatlouie07]

avocado ice cream, now that's good stuff. I haven't made it from scratch at home yet. but i buy a half gallon(i think) at my local oriental store. it's bit more expensive than the ones you get at your local grocery store but it's worth it.

[SobaAddict70]

I recently had what I like to call "avocado sashimi":

sliced avocado

tobiko

sesame seeds

furikake

Take 1 avocado -- Haas is available here in NYC, although I can only dream what other types taste like; slice thinly.

Sprinkle tobiko, toasted sesame seeds and furikake.

Eat and sigh with contentment.

It's a take on your "california roll" without the rice and nori. Fat, salt and crunch....what's not to like?

Soba

[mochihead]

Yum! Avocadoes are all over the place here and we just finished off a huge bag from my neighbors. Growing up, we used to eat mashed avocado with sugar sandwiches. One of my aunties would make an avocado pie with lime jello (never did like that). But I love avocado with just some shoyu or in sandwiches/salads.

SobaAddict70, your avocado sashimi sounds yummy! I would probably add toasted shredded nori all over the top of it, too, but that's just me.

And, in keeping with the avocado recipes, here's an Avocado Cake Recipe from Kate Hopkin's website, Accidental Hedonist. I wish I had seen it before we ate all of the avocadoes. Now I'll have to go make googly eyes at my neighbor again for more.