The Avocado.

As a kid who was raised in Southern California, eating an avocado was a normal thing to me. All of the markets sold them, and some of my friends had trees full of them growing in their back yards. And, of course when you’re living in Santa Barbara, you are also spoiled by the large number of really good mexican restaurants… so the delicious creamy green stuff seemed to top all of the mexican food we had in some way, shape or form.

Chicago, 1930s.

My dad grew up in a small town outside of Chicago. Because of his heritage, he grew up eating Polish food, as did his large family. When he followed his brother Chester out to Southern California in the mid-50’s, they discovered a wonderful fruit called the Avocado. He and his brother enjoyed them so much, they wanted to share the amazing taste with their family back east. As the story goes, they bought enough to fill a large box, packed them carefully, and shipped them to their brothers.

Some time went by and the box arrived. Sadly, so did a phone call. No, the avocados weren’t spoiled! But the voice on the other end of the phone simply asked, “So, how long DO we have to boil these squash before they soften up, anyway??” Yep. They’d cooked the entire box’s contents.

Something Old, Something New.

Today, I’m treating you to two different recipes: both are very simple, and delicious! The first is an old favorite. For as many years as I can remember, it was commonplace to have my dad bring us breakfast on Sunday mornings while we were getting ready for church. It was always the same thing, and it was always P E R F E C T. It was what he simply calls “Avocado Toast” and it is best eaten while doing your hair. Or so it seemed. 😉  Before I go any further, I must give a virtual slice of this deliciousness to each of my cousins Cheryl and Cyndie, who adore this treat as much as I do. I’m thinking of you!!
So, back to dad’s recipe… I’ve only made a tiny change. Since I haven’t used Miracle Whip for about 10 years, I’ve replaced it with plain greek yogurt. The taste is nearly the same, and now there’s protein added.

It’s very important…let me say that again… IT’S VERY IMPORTANT…that you put this on really well-toasted sourdough. You’ve gotta have that crunch, with the melted butter underneath the avocado.

Bob’s Sunday Avocado Toast

1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsp. plain greek yogurt
½ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. pink salt
8 drops Tabasco® Brand Original Red Sauce
2 slices GOOD sourdough. Seriously. It’s that important.

Mash first five ingredients together and set aside.Toast 2 slices of good sourdough till they’re nice and crispy.Butter them well, and top with your Avocado mixture.

And Now For Dessert.

Chovocado Mousse

1 ripe avocado
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. local raw unfiltered honey (the thicker the better)*
1 tsp. vanilla
30 ml. liquid**
pinch of pink salt ***

Blend all ingredients in small food processor or blender. Spoon into serving dish & chill at least 30 minutes.

* I use the Orange Raw Unfiltered Honey from Bobcat Properties Farm in Corona, CA. It is so thick and sweet, and tastes like what the orange blossoms smell like. (if that makes sense). The owners are so wonderful, and if you’re ever in Corona on a Saturday, I highly recommend stopping by and paying them a visit. Their honey is that good!

** If you want to go natural, use orange juice or water. If you want a sweeter dessert, use Torani French Vanilla Syrup.
*** I use pink salt because gives a smoother, more pleasant taste than the “tinny” flavored iodized table salt.

Last But Not Least…meet my pup

As always a bit of humor for those brave enough to read my entire blog 😉

Meet my dog, Katie. She is 14 and absolutely adores avocado, so I thought she needed to be in on the blog too.

I’d love to hear what you think of anything you’ve read/seen here today….even if it’s just to talk about my dog 😀

(…and remember, anything below the yellow logo footer isn’t mine… it’s someone else’s advertisements…)