The Too Hot Tamales
Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger share California Avocado recipe ideas and tips.
California Avocado Season is Officially Here!
Fresh California Avocados are now widely available in grocery stores throughout the country, just in time for your summer barbeques and picnics. Did you know that ninety percent of the nation’s avocado crop is grown in California, mostly in the region from San Diego to Santa Barbara? Approximately 6,000 California Avocado farmers take a hand-grown approach to bringing you the perfect avocado and now – April through September – is the perfect time to enjoy this premium fruit.
We’re such huge California Avocado fans. In fact, Susan often says that if she were stranded on a desert island and she only had one thing to eat, it would be avocados – with olive oil and salt. Okay that’s three things, but you get the point. Anyway, we recently decided to partner with the California Avocado Commission to create signature recipes highlighting the fruit’s flavor and versatility. You might usually think of avocados for guacamole, and clearly avocados are big in Mexican cooking, but their adaptability and rich flavor takes them far beyond the Latin kitchen. Mary Sue blended them into a homemade tomato soup the other day and got rave reviews from her kids. In fact avocados are the perfect complement to dozens of hot and cold dishes – soups, sandwiches and salads, even pasta. Our original recipe for Tequila-Spiked Fettuccine with Shrimp and California Avocado is just one of our unique recipes that feature fresh California Avocados. You can find this recipe and many more inspired by California Avocados in the recipes section of this Web site, or by clicking here: http://www.californiaavocado.com/recipes.
Thinking about how our food is grown and how far it has to travel before it makes it to our table is something we take seriously and is another reason we prefer California Avocados. “Green” means more than the color of an avocado; it describes an approach to life that is environmentally friendly and conscious of the choices we make every day. Choices like insisting on locally grown produce whenever possible, from growers who take a hands-on approach to their craft.
We’re proud that we now use a water purification system at our Border Grill Santa Monica and Ciudad restaurants, instead of bottled water. The purification system that we have installed uses a three-step system to eliminate impurities from tap water, while still retaining healthy minerals. It’s a green alternative to bottled water that doesn’t sacrifice taste.
We’re also proud of the tradition of family-run avocado farms throughout California that consistently produce some of the creamiest and most delicious fruit. California Avocado growers use the care you would expect from folks growing the fruit in their own backyard – because California is our backyard. So enjoy the fruits of this California Avocado season . . . and what a great season it is.
Featured Recipe
Tequila-Spiked Fettuccine with Shrimp and California Avocado
More Inspired Recipes
Also try these delicious recipes from chef Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Made with Fresh California Avocados, these dishes are sure to please your guests.
Fish Tacos with California Avocado, Grapefruit and Toasted Ancho Salsa
