by Lori BaltazarMy mom has an avocado tree in her garden, the reason for the surplus. They’re large and lush, their insides so buttery and firm that I have a bizarre desire to rub them all over myself. Since the fruits are allowed to fully ripen on the tree, they’re better than their supermarket counterparts; it’s always a guessing game of the ripeness on those ones.
Times and tastes have changed since I wrote my first avocado post. Back then, I was all about sweet avocado preparations, and attempting to get a handle on handling a camera – rest in peace, my dear Canon Powershot G2.
Fast forward eight years later, and I now prefer savory avocado dishes of which I’m better able to photograph, I believe.
I eat avocados raw and naked (hmm, something’s not right with that sentence), almost bereft of anything except for a hit of coarse sea salt and generous glugs of an unfiltered Italian olive oil. Here are photos of my avocado lunches on various days, iterations of avocado on toast. There’s nothing to it really, and I don’t even have to give you a recipe: just mash up the avocado, slap it on toast, sprinkle of salt, squirt of olive oil, and it’s a power meal, nutritious and tasty. I can’t ask for more.
Avocado + thickly sliced whole wheat bread + calamansi marmalade + fried egg. My take on a savory-sweet-salty combo. Silken, sultry love.
I arrive home one day with the appetite of an animal. Still wanting avocados, I prepare a slice of one and decorate it with some arugula leaves languishing in my chiller. I rummage for a tomato and find a tiny one. Lunch! But oh, wait … this looks nice … must take a photo. So I rush to my window, position my plate, grab a diffuser, and shoot. Not all of my photos can be preen-worthy but oh, how we try.
On some days, especially when work is heavy, my lunches can be downright pathetic but that’s no excuse to eat poorly. My fridge is devoid of anything remotely interesting, and in dire need of being restocked. I’m neck deep in work and can’t stop but a growling stomach, like my lust for sweets, is dangerous to deny. So here’s my avocado toast for the day: a plain slice of Gardenia whole wheat bread grilled to unflattering flatness in my sandwich press (a mistake!) + avocado + leftover roasted tomatoes + a lone basil leaf I must’ve overlooked from the pesto I made last night. This toast looks so lonely that I grab a green glass just so that it can come close to attractive.
And just because I like to challenge myself by seeing how I can dramatize my food, here’s this post’s cover photo: an avocado slice that I licked with hollandaise sauce + peppercorns, black and pink.
I’m curious as to how you eat avocados. Let me know!
I love avocado on toast too! I just slice and pile them on top of a whole wheat bun with cottage cheese, dijon mustard and alfalfa sprouts. 🙂 your photos are really nice!
Oh avocado, how do I love (and eat) thee? Let me count the ways:
1) Lightly mashed so as to leave chunks, in a bowl with crushed ice, condensed milk, and a spoon. Some friends like to add a banana, but I like to leave my avocado unadulterated.
2) In a blender with ice, sugar and evaporated milk. Blitzed till smooth. Alternatively, frozen fresh milk (full fat please), and a few glugs of simple syrup. Same result: a smoothie so thick that it takes awesome vacuum power to sip through a straw.
3) Smashed as above, spread on a slice of toasted bread – rye, sourdough, baguette, croissant! – a sprinkle of salt, a trickle of good olive oil, enjoyed with a cup of coffee.
4) Cut into cubes, tossed with diced tomato, minced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and served with corn chips or as it is (yes!).
5) Cut in half, pit removed, scooped from its skin, sliced thickly, put on a plate, sprinkled with flakes of salt (from Ritual!), crowned with a thin stream of Greek olive oil – best enjoyed while sitting under the morning sun.
I didn’t eat avocado as savory until I moved to California. I knew it as something to eat as sweet snack – as a smoothie with milk and sugar, mashed and drizzled with condensed milk, cut into cubes and served over shaved ice (again with milk and sugar). Lastly, I love avocado ice cream, either dirty or from the tub. A friend, born and raised here, can not imagine it. The idea appalls her.
I did notice a shift in the Philippines, at least in Manila. Is it because Mexican food started to become popular, or perhaps, due to the health craze?
diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, Cobram Estate extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, with a big spoon
Guacamole! 😀
Half a hass avocado mashed but still chunky on multigrain toast, topped generously with smoked salmon; served with a side of cubed ripe mangoes tossed in some passion fruit pulp. One of the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten 🙂
In my latino tuna salad: tuna, avocado chunks, mayo, lime juice (lots), cilantro (lots), red onion, salt and pepper.
Besides on toast and as a dip/ salad ingredient, my love for avocadoes makes me find ways to put it in every dish ( and even dessert! ) when I have the chance. On pasta ( sliced and tossed with shrimps and pesto), on a healthier version of loco moco ( my take involves 5 grain rice topped with fried egg, grilled veggies, sauteed minced meat and avocadoes!), on pizza, with burgers, and as a butter substitute when making brownies. Someday I hope to make me some avocado cheesecake 🙂
I put avocado slices (when in season, otherwise I also use mangoes) in my version of fresh Vietnamese rolls! 🙂 Yum!
With whole wheat pasta! Mash and season avocado and add a dollop to just cooked pasta. A glug of good old EVOO. Toss.
Good on its own or topped with fried crispy tempeh for vegans or bacon/sausages/pancetta, etc for the meat lovers. Sprinkle with just about any spices or herbs. Excellent mixed with pesto as well for a creamy pesto pasta.
Oh the choices we have when it comes to avocados!
I’ve always been one for the combination of chocolate and avocado, usually combining the two into a pudding/mousse of sorts 😀 hippie health benefits ASIDE, the bitter edge of cocoa does play well with rich, earthy fatty avocado and the pairing is good in its own right and not merely as a “vegan-friendly pudding substitute”. I also love it with plain with blue cheese, whose pungency heightens the earthiness of the vegetable (er, fruit?) just enough; at times I add salted sunflower seeds for crunch. not sure if that concoction counts as a salad or a main or what, though, or if it’s been done before.
i hear it’s also common to blend it with coffee and condensed milk in indonesia? hmm, i should try that out….