Creamy ripe avocado, warm toast, a squeeze of lemon and plenty of salt and pepper. One of my favourite meals at any time of the day and with the shelves groaning with these buttery beauties, now is the time to enjoy.
There are many varieties of avocado but only two are commonplace in New Zealand - the hass has bumpy skin and a nutty flavour which changes colour from green to a dark green-purple when ripe. The reed avocado becomes available from January; these gorgeous fruits are round with smooth green skin and a meatier texture, normally the size of an orange but often much larger.
Avocados are packed with vitamins, minerals and are a great source of anti-oxidants. They contain 25 per cent of the all-important "good fat" - mono-unsaturated - which we all need and make for a perfect butter replacement when creating a healthy sammie.
If you need to hurry up the ripening process, put them in a brown paper bag with a ripe apple or banana and let the natural gases get to work.
I adore spicy guacamole made with lots of lime juice and chilli, and always make plenty of it when there is an abundance of ripe avocados.
Avocados are also great in salads, salsas and chilled soups.
Pureed into cheesecakes, smoothies and mousses or combined with sugar, coconut milk and ice for a common Indonesian drink, they are an adaptable and multi-talented summer ingredient.
Chef's tip
Watching people squeeze these easily bruised fruit is enough to make steam come out of my ears. Either buy avocados firm and allow a few days to ripen or test by pressing gently at the stem end.
Pale and interesting (+recipes)
Photo / Babiche Martens
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