Avocados post-season

Saturday's time change made autumn official!  The leaves on the trees, the changing temperatures - the new seasonal food offerings!

I noticed that my desire for fresh fruit salad or a fruit smoothie with breakfast was wavering recently.  It seemed too cold and too sweet for the cooler, rainier mornings.  But I was sad to see it go as a way to start the day.

Around this same time, I read that the end of October also meant the end of avocado season, which generally starts in the spring. But I LOOOOVE avocados, and I wanted to hold onto them into November.  I had that AHA! moment and soon thereafter, was off to the grocery to get some ripe avocados to experiment with what has become my new breakfast staple: the green smoothie.

The meat of ½ or 1 avocado

1 banana

Berries (fresh or frozen to make cooler)

2 tbs of your favorite nut butter (my favorite is almond butter)

A dash of liquid for mixing – water, coconut milk, milk, juice, etc. – your choice

1 tsp honey

1 tsp coconut oil (another great source of healthy fats)

Green powder, such as .  I love the chocolate-flavored variety.

Blend all ingredients together, pour in a glass and enjoy. (FYI: I recommend the Cuisinart hand mixer for superb smoothie mixing.)  Serves 1.

Second idea: avocado toast.  I spread half an avocado on a crunchy slice of bread and topped it with feta and asiago, garlic powder, and sea salt. Pair with some white wine for a great snack or side to soup.

Mmmm, green toast

Make sure you look for avocados that have matured if you plan to use them immediately – check the darkness of the skin.  The deeper the green, the more ready-to-use.  If a ripe avocado is not available, you can put one in a closed paper bag to speed up the ripening process.  Another little-known trick: if you only use half of the avocado and plan to save the other half in the fridge, save the half that has the pit inside.   The pit preserves the color and integrity of the avocado and will allow you to keep it a bit longer.

Get in and grab some green goodness – avocados start fading from the shelves soon.  This means it’s time for guacamole, great sandwich toppings, and yes, a little Green Monster in the morning.

Do you have a favorite recipe using avocado?