avocado

avocado salad / insalata di avocado

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

avocado salad / IMG_4899

flavor and color bursting from the bowl
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The novel Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman1 is our current Cook the Books Club selection. I enjoyed the story of the friendship between Kate and Miss Cecily and the style in which it is told. It was a reading that satisfied well the need for something light during an intense period. 

When the story feels like it is sliding under a shadow of predictability, Zimmerman inserts a surprise to keep the reader's interest alive. This happens even beyond the ending, as the interview with the author, which I found at the end of the book, brought some interesting details.

The story shines a light on the importance of mentors in one's life. Miss Cecily is not an easy one, but Kate perseveres, understanding that the elderly woman's sometimes sharp words come from a place of affection and wisdom.

In the 1950's, Miss Cecily wrote a cookbook (Thought for Food), which contains menus and practical advice for different occasions (for example, Tea for a Crotchety Aunt). The recipes belong to that era and the menus mentioned are not keen on vegetables, which are what I mostly eat, so I thought I'd contribute a vegetable dish of my liking for balance.

avocado salad / IMG_4899

summer flavor thanks to a winter surprise
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Kate could prepare this avocado salad for Ben whom in the story she scolds for buying store-bought guacamole instead of preparing it fresh. The salad was inspired by the avocado salsa cruda recipe in The Latin Table by Isabel Cruz. The main ingredient change I made is the use of arugula (rucola) instead of cilantro (coriandolo).

I love avocados! Mashed avocado makes a great dressing for many vegetables, including roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed purple sprouting broccoli. A local farmer2 is growing tomatoes (pomodori) in hoop tunnels, so between those and locally grown arugula, I have been enjoying bowls of this brightly flavored salad.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Avocado salad

Ingredients for one serving:

  • 4 ounces / 112 grams small tomatoes OR cherry tomatoes
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams arugula (rocket), clean weight
  • 1 tablespoon minced red spring onion OR shallot
  • 1/2 medium ripe avocado
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml lime juice, or to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Half and slice the tomatoes. If using cherry tomatoes, half or quarter them, depending on their size. Place the tomatoes in a bowl.

Chop the arugula and add it to the bowl. Add the onion or shallot to the bowl. Dice the avocado and add it to the bowl.

Sprinkle the salt and drizzle the lime juice on the salad then toss it gently and thoroughly.

Taste and adjust the salt and/or lime juice, if needed. For a richer salad, sprinkle the olive oil. Toss again.

Serve immediately.

Serves 1

1 A review of the book on the Library Journal
2 Palmer Creek Farm

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di avocado

or launch the insalata di avocado audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

salad, avocado, tomatoes, lime juice, Mexican cuisine

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Newrule

insalata di avocado

avocado salad / IMG_4899

una ciotola piena di colore e sapore
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Si dice "avocado" ed è facile pensare al guacamole, salsa messicana preparata nel molcajete (mortaio), ma per questo viaggio virtuale nel mondo degli ingredienti, ho preparato una ensalada de aguacate ispirata dalla ricetta per avocado salsa cruda in The Latin Table di Isabel Cruz. Ho sostituito il coriandolo, del quale non sono una fan, con la rucola.

In uno dei mercati dei produttori che frequento, in questo periodo trovo avocado raccolti qui in California (e il cipollotto rosso). Avocado di produzione messicana si trovano facilmente nei supermercati tutto l'anno. La varieta più comune è Haas ma ce ne sono anche altre1.

Grazie ad un produttore locale in vena di esperimenti al mercato vicino casa ho trovato dei bei (e buoni) pomodori, nonostante la stagione. Di produzione locale è anche la rucola.

Ingredienti per una porzione:

  • 110 grammi di pomodori piccoli o ciliegini
  • 30 grammi di rucola, peso pulito
  • 1 cucchiaio di cipollotto rosso (o scalogno) tritato
  • 1/2 avocado medio maturo
  • 1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino o q.b.
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml di succo di lime o q.b.
  • 1/2 cucchiaio / 7.5 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva, facoltativo

Affettare i pomodori. Se usate i ciliegini, taglieteli a metà o in quarti a seconda della loro grandezza. Mettere i pomodori in una ciotola.

Tagliare la rucola e aggiungerla alla ciotola, poi aggiungere il cipollotto (o scalogno).

Tagliare a dadini l'avocado e aggiungerlo alla ciotola.

Spargere sull'insalata il sale e il succo di lime e mescolare bene, delicatamente.

Assaggiare e correggere sale e/o succo di lime, se necessario. Per un'insalata più ricca, spargere l'olio d'oliva e mescolare di nuovo. 

Servire subito.

1 Varietà di avocado (in inglese)

UnMondoIngredientiLogo LetteraAContribuisco la mia insalata di avocado dal Messico alla lettera A di Un mondo d'ingredienti evento creato dall'instancabile Aiu' di Trattoria Muvara

 

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

 

 

 

recipe: avocado salad

| Simona

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red beet, avocado, blood orange and daikon salad / insalata di barbabietola rossa, avocado, arancia rossa e ravanelli

| Simona

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red beet, avocado, orange and daikon salad / IMG_3716

before tossing
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the memoir Where I Come From by chef Aarón Sánchez1. I didn't know him before reading the book, but a few pages into it, I realized a few year ago I had met his mother, Zarela Martinez. She had been described to me as the chef who introduced Mexican cuisine to New York. It was interesting to read her story told by her son: what an amazing woman! On July 21, 19822 the NY Times published an article by Craig Claiborne titled Memorable Dishes From a Master Mexican Chef. Here's how Ms. Martinez is introduced:

A few months ago Pierre Franey and I were invited to plan a menu and supervise the preparation of quintessentially American food that was to be served to nearly 200 French chefs visiting this country. The vast majority of these chefs had never sampled the native fare of the United States. The dishes we proposed covered the country…

We also wanted to have Mexican-style food from Texas. When we canvassed our contacts for the best cook of the region, we were told that person was, hands down, Zarela Martinez-Gabilondo. She prepared the Mexican-American segment of the meal and her contribution was memorable.

Sánchez ends a few of the book's chapters with recipes, none of which is along the lines of what I cook, so I browsed the web for a Mexican recipe that would be. Recently, almost every day I have been making a salad using fresh vegetables from the farmers' market.

vegetables / IMG_3713

ingredients for the salad fresh from the farmers' market
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

A few recipes I found online3 made me draw up a list of ingredients: red beets, avocado, oranges and jicama. I couldn't find the latter, so I used daikon instead and was introduced to red and purple daikon, which are sold alongside their more famous white relative. I had not roasted red beets for a while and making this salad reminded me how much I like them. I buy them in bunches with their greens and stems (foglie e coste di barbabietola rossa), which are flavorful on their own (I will share a recipe soon).

I looked for lime but instead found variegated lemon (limone). Finally, in the citrus arena, I went for blood oranges, because I like their flavor and love their color. That all the salad's ingredients are grown in California is satisfying. My current favorite cheese addition to salads and other dishes is also a California production: Point Reyes Bay Blue4.

To me salad bowls are experiment benches: I mix and dress, toss and taste and tend not to repeat twice. For the photo op above I kept the ingredients separate, but then everything is tossed and eaten in the purple juice of red beet and blood orange. The citrus (agrumi) offset beets' sweetness and the blue cheese (formaggio erborinato) gives the salad a bit of a tang, while the daikon adds some zest.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Red beet, avocado, blood orange and daikon salad

Ingredients per person:

  • 1 red beet (4-5 ounces)
  • 1/3 of a medium purple or red daikon
  • 1/2 medium blood orange
  • 1/2 medium avocado
  • 3-4 tablespoons crumbled Point Reyes Bay Blue OR other sweet blue cheese
  • 1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons / 10 ml fresh lemon juice

Note: if you purchase a bunch of red beets, cut off the greens as soon as possible, leaving about an inch / 2.5 cm of stems and consume the greens shortly afterwards.

Heat the oven to 350 F / 177 C. If you only need 1-2 red beets, I suggest you bake them together with other foods, for efficiency's sake.

Scrub the red beets well. Wrap each in foil and place on the baking sheet or baking pan. Put in the oven and roast the beets until easily pierced with a blade. Let cool, then peel.

Prepare the vegetables in amounts according to the servings needed. Cut the red beet into bite-sized pieces. Brush and rinse the daikon, then grate it using the extra-coarse side of your grater. Peel and section the blood orange. Peel and slice the avocado.

Compose the salad using the vegetables and blue cheese. Dress with the sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice, toss and enjoy.

1 The book's page on the author's website
2 NY Times published an article by Craig Claiborne
3 The recipes that inspired me: Mexican Chopped Salad with Beets and Walnut Dressing, Xec, a Jicama and Citrus Salad, and Avocado, Orange and Jicama Salad
4 Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese, "a rustic-style blue cheese with a natural rind. It is known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish."

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di barbabietola rossa, avocado, arancia rossa e ravanelli

or launch the insalata di barbabietola rossa, avocado, arancia rossa e ravanelli audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Claudia of Honey from Rock. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Small_NFlogoThis is my second contribution to the 41st edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 13 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

image from 4.bp.blogspot.comI am contributing my salad to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

avocado, red beet, salad, daikon, orange

recipe: red beet, avocado, blood orange and daikon salad

| Simona

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carrot, radish and turnip salad with microgreens / insalata di carote, ravanelli, rape e micro verdure

| Simona

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carrot, radish and turnip salad with sprouts / IMG_3234

pretty salad for one

Hippie Food by Jonathan Kauffman1, our current Cook the Books Club selection, offers a wide historical view of nutrition in recent decades, with a particular focus on foods that moved from being consumed by a relatively small number of people to becoming mainstream. Each chapter introduces a varied cast of characters each of whom has contributed one or more threads to the complex tapestry Kauffman weaves as he describe the evolution of eating habits from the 1960's to the present.

As with a previous Cook the Books selection, The Food Explorer by Daniel Stone, the interest is in obtaining a historical view of what we observe in the present and may even take for granted, like organic certification. This reader sometimes had difficulty keeping in mind all the names and who did what. My suggestions would be to read the book in small bites.

Although I have lived in California for 25 years, I spent my childhood and early adulthood in Italy, so I don't have firsthand experience of the events described in the book that predate my move. The situation in Italy was different from that in the US. For example, Italians have always been serious about their bread, buying it fresh almost daily from a neighborhood bakery. I have never experienced the "plastic bread" described in the book. I do remember, however, when whole-wheat bread (pane integrale) became more readily available, as the health benefits of whole grains became better known.

salad turnips / IMG_3241

salad turnips are a favorite spring crop

The book contains no recipes, but mentions a lot of foods, cookbooks and recipes. The inspiration for me came when early on, the book talks about alfalfa sprouts. I have eaten sprouts (germogli) occasionally, though I am not a regular consumer. Microgreens2, on the other hand, have become a favorite salad ingredient, and I am fortunate I can get a variety of them at the farmers' market. The book also talks about farmers' markets and organic certification and my dish takes advantage of both.

Our farmers' markets have remained open during the shelter-in-place period so I have maintained access to fresh, locally grown produce and the precious smiles of our farmers, quite visible even behind masks. Although shopping at the market is not the festive social occasion it used to be, I am grateful I can do it and don't mind abiding by the rules that make us all (farmers and customers) safe.

carrots, radished, salad turnips sprouts / IMG_3249

fresh ingredients make a tasty salad

I buy carrots, radishes and salad turnips by the bunch, then, once I get home, I cut off the greens from all of them and use those in other dishes. I admit I am still learning to appreciate carrot tops: they have a rather strong grassy flavor that I must dilute with other greens. The Persian dish Kuku Sabzi (herb and green frittata), described in a recent post3,  is perfect for making use of the greens mentioned above plus fresh spinach (spinaci). 

One great characteristic of carrots, radishes and salad turnips is that they last a few days, unlike their greens, which wilt fairly quickly. This is particularly important for me as I am the only root vegetable eater in the household, which explains why the recipe is for one. Of course, it can be easily multiplied to nourish all the people around your table.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Carrot, radish and turnip salad with microgreens

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces / 113 grams of a combination of carrots, radishes and salad turnips, possibly organic, clean weight [see below]
  • 1/2 medium ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, possibly homemade
  • A pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams microgreens of choice (for example, sunflowers, broccoli, arugula)

Scrub carrots well and scrape surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Scrub radishes and salad turnips and trim the tails.

Grate the root vegetables using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Combine to get a total of 4 ounces / 113 g. The number of units depends on their size and also on your taste: for example, more carrots mean a sweeter salad, while more radishes will give your salad more of a bite. 

Scoop the avocado meat into a small salad bowl or onto a plate. Add the mayonnaise and salt, and mash well. Add the grated vegetables and toss well, then mound them in the middle.

Distribute the microgreens around the root vegetables and serve. Toss again before eating.

Serves 1

1 The author's website and a review of the book on the NY Times.
2 This page explains the differences between sprouts and microgreens.
3 My recent post featuring a personal version of  Kuku Sabzi (Persian herb and green frittata)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di carote, ravanelli, rape e micro verdure

or launch the insalata di carote, ravanelli, rape e micro verdure audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Souper Sundayslogo And I am contributing my fruit salad also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

salad, carrot, radish, turnip, microgreens, avocado

recipe: carrot, radish and turnip salad with microgreens

| Simona

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roasted chicken, asparagus and avocado salad / insalata di pollo e asparagi arrosto con avocado

| Simona
roasted chicken, asparagus and avocado salad / DSC_8130

an ode to leftovers (avanzi)

The current selection of our Cook the Books Club, the autobiography Life from Scratch by Sasha Martin1, got me thinking about writing about tragedy in one’s life, about people that hurt you and about cliché. Sometimes I am told that a certain image or expression is cliché and I realize that my lack of awareness is due to the fact that I did not grow up in the US. On the other hand, I may consider a certain image or expression cliché because I read more than the average person, especially more about food. Beyond my personal speculations on the above topics, I think the writing must shine on its own and the story must draw the reader in. I am afraid that didn’t happen for me with this book. However, I am always glad when a reading provides me with material for reflection, so I am grateful this book made it to our pick list.

Martin gives the reader her take on roasted chicken and from her recipe (Orange & Herb Roasted Chicken) I took the suggestion of adding paprika to thyme and rosemary (timo e rosmarino) from my herb garden, which I use to flavor the bird. I also use a Meyer lemon, rather than an orange, but overall, the idea is to use some citrus on the sweet side as aromatic. In terms of cooking temperature and time, I follow my usual recipe, a variation on Thomas Keller’s one2.

asparagus at the farmers' market / IMG_5419

so tempting!

As a child in Italy, I waited impatiently for April to come around to eat asparagus and strawberries (fragole). Decades later, I am still thrilled when I see the first green spears neatly bunched standing in a little bit of water at farmers’ market and grocery stores. I always yield to the temptation. My mother boiled asparagus and served them dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. I roast them.

The recipe I am sharing is the result of a combination of events: I had leftovers asparagus, besides leftovers from the roast chicken described above and I was by myself. The result was so good that I made the salad again the following day, grateful that the chicken3 had been large enough to provide me leftovers for another salad.

If you are vegetarian, substitute the chicken with something that fits your preferences.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Roasted chicken, asparagus and avocado salad 

Ingredients, for each person (to be multiplied as needed):

  • 4 ounces / 113 g roasted chicken, possibly pasture-raised
  • 12 medium spears of roasted asparagus (see below for instructions on how to roast asparagus)
  • half of a small ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, possibly homemade
  • fine sea salt, as needed 
  • 1 tablespoon sprouted pumpkin seeds (or another lightly crunchy topping)

How to roast asparagus
Heat the oven to 400 F / 205 C. Line a baking sheet large enough to hold the asparagus in one layer with a silicone baking mat.

If necessary, trim the woody ends from the asparagus (I don’t usually need this steps for the asparagus I buy). Place the asparagus on the mat and toss with some olive oil, fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then spread in one layer. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender to your liking.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Store leftover asparagus in the refrigerator for use in the salad. If you don’t have leftover asparagus and want to make the salad, roast some ahead of time and let them cool before adding to the other salad ingredients.

How to put together the salad
Dice the chicken. Cut the asparagus into short lengths.

On a serving plate (or in a serving bowl) dice the avocado and mash it with a fork. Add the mayonnaise and mix it to the avocado.

Add the chicken and stir, then add the asparagus and stir well. Taste and add a bit of sea salt, if needed. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and serve.

chicken, asparagus and avocado salad / DSC_8130

ready to savor

This is a delicious way of using leftover chicken and of showcasing asparagus, of one of the season’s most flavorful offerings.

1 The book’s page on the author’s blog, Global Table Adventure
2 Thomas Keller’s recipe for simple roast chicken
3 From Shakefork Comunity Farm

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di pollo e asparagi arrosto con avocado

or launch the insalata di pollo e asparagi arrosto con avocado audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Souper Sundayslogo I am contributing my salad also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

salad, chicken, asparagus, avocado, gluten free

recipe: roasted chicken, asparagus and avocado salad

| Simona

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recipe: corn salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado and lemon cucumber (insalata di mais)

| Simona
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recipe: potato avocado salad (insalata di patate con avocado)

| Simona

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