Food styling by Cynthia Kent | Photographs by Robin Conover
It’s April! Spring is in full swing, so let’s get started on the flavors and foods we crave in warmer weather. Avocados are so versatile. Whether served in simple slices or blended in extraordinary sauces, the distinctive rich flavor of avocado in these recipes will kick-start your outdoor dining season. Get some more green in your spring with avocados!
- ½ heaping cup plain or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon lemon juice, divided
- 1 small ripe banana, peeled
- 1 ripe avocado
- Assorted lettuce leaves
- 2 oranges, peeled and divided into sections
- 1 small grapefruit, peeled and divided into sections
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
- Place the yogurt, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and banana in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, peel, pit and cut the avocado. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice. Place the lettuce on chilled salad plates and arrange the orange and grapefruit sections on top. Add the avocado slices and sprinkle evenly with the green onions. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and pureed
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Place the garlic and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, along with the avocado puree, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, orange zest and salt. Reduce the heat to simmer until ready to use. Refrigerate any leftovers.
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 green onions, white parts only (save the tops for another use or chopped as a garnish)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 limes, juiced (3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Place the avocado flesh, onions, olive oil, lime juice, sour cream or yogurt, bell peppers, lime zest, salt and pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If necessary, thin with a tablespoon of water. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or up to 3 days. Shake well before using.
- 3 cups arugula
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 small green onion (green part only), sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Place the arugula in chilled salad bowls. Top evenly with the avocado slices that have been drizzled with the lime juice. Scatter the green onions on top. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Shake to emulsify and drizzle over the salads. Season with salt and pepper, toss and serve immediately.
- 4 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1 small sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- Place the avocados in a bowl and mash with a fork until on the chunky side of smooth. Stir in the onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and lime juice. Stir until well blended and serve immediately.
- Alternative: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro and an additional splash of lime juice.
- Note:
- If you have to store this, place plastic wrap directly on the top to prevent discoloration
- 1 large ear of corn
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped, divided
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ teaspoon onion or garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
- 1 large lime, juiced and zested
- ¼ cup Mexican crema
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Place the corn on a grill grate to char or place in a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Turn occasionally to evenly char, around 4 minutes. Remove and transfer to a cutting board. When cooled, cut the corn from the cob. Set the kernels aside.
- Place the cob, stock, half of the onions, garlic and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to 3 cups. Remove from the heat, discard the corn cob, stir in the jalapeno and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a large bowl, pressing the solids with a wooden spoon to extract moisture. Discard the solids and return the stock to the saucepan.
- Stir in the remaining onions, onion salt or garlic salt, white pepper, one of the avocados, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of the lime zest. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the remaining avocado that has been chopped along with the reserved corn kernels. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, ladle the soup into chilled bowls. Whisk together the Mexican crema and olive oil until smooth. Drizzle on top of each serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro and any remaining lime zest.
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 12 basil leaves, julienned
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 large avocado
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and half the lemon juiced. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, cover and allow to stand at room temperature 1 hour.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Meanwhile, peel, pit and chop the avocado. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and drizzle with the remaining lemon half, juiced.
- Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with the tomato mixture and spoon the avocado mixture over the top. Garnish with the parsley and serve warm.
Tammy Algood develops recipes for The Tennessee Magazine that feature farm-fresh Tennessee food. Those fresh, local ingredients will always add cleaner, more flavorful foods to your table. We recommend visiting local farms and farmers markets to find the freshest seasonal produce.
Tips & Tricks
Purchase avocados at least a couple of days before you are ready to use them. Rarely will you find them ripe and ready to use at the supermarket.
To ripen at home, place in a paper bag and poke lots of holes in it with an ice pick. Leave the bag at room temperature.
To speed up the home ripening process, add an apple to the paper bag.
Avocados can’t be cut or sliced ahead of time because the pulp will darken after exposure to air. Citrus juice will help slow the process, but it’s best to slice just before you want to add them to a dish in the fresh form.
After the avocado husk is removed, it can be finely ground into powder.
Ask Chef Tammy
Gail asks, “My cousin gifted us with limpa, and I am not sure of the best way to serve this loaf. Can you help, please? It seems more special than simply to slice and toast it.”
Gail, limpa is a Swedish rye bread that is both sweet and a bit spicy. It gets savory from anise, caraway seeds and rye flour. This is sweetly balanced by the addition of molasses and orange zest. Toasting it is just fine, but also consider using it for ham sandwiches and a nontraditional Reuben.
Will writes, “Would you please give me the proportions for making honey butter? I can’t seem to get it right. Mine is either too sweet or not sweet enough. Many thanks!”
Will, I use a stick of softened unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. This also works with other sweeteners like sorghum, molasses and maple syrup.
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: talgood@tnelectric.org.
