Fun with avocados

[Callalily]

While making the current "American Test Kitchen" avocado salad with grapefruit and cucumber recipe, I took these photos.

BTW . . . the recipe is a winner. PM me if you'd like a copy.

Avocado


Chopped avocado


Avocado salad with grapefruit and cucumber

[GoCubsGo]

1. I'm glad to see the prices dropping.

They were unaffordable there for a while. I guess it's getting back into their season.

That recipe looks yummy. I get ATK's newsletter, and I'll have to check out that recipe, especially now that grapefruit season is approaching.

[grasswire]

2. your photography and styling is wonderful

Do you get paid for this kind of work?

[Callalily]

5. Thanks for the compliment - much appreciated.

I love photography and also cooking, so many times I just combine the two.

[Lucinda]

3. Looks sooo good

And grapefruit is one of my favorite things
Great pics too!

[pinto]

4. Beautiful pics, would love the recipe. I'm fortunate to live on the edge of Hass cultivation region,

in addition to the standard Fuerte and other varieties. Have avo's available year-round.

I use them as "bowls" for a meal - tuna salad, shrimp 'n cocktail sauce, almost any grilled seafood - as well as the great standard sides - pico de gallo & lime or guacamole.

[KC]

6. I love

avocados and love grapefruit but I can't imagine them together, but the picture looks great so
I'll have to try it !

[freshwest]

7. Thanks for the lovely pictures. But I need some help or advice on them now.

A few years ago I got into trying to have at least half an avocado a year for health, and face it, they are delicious and satisfying.

This year, it's been hard to get a decent avocado, no matter what store I go to get them. At first, they were nearly rotten, or so soft or perhaps ripe it wouldn't be long. No problem, just use them faster or cut out the little parts near the skin that had browned, to still use.

Then the problem of the ones that I'd buy to tide me over a few days of eating the ripe ones, I'd buy some harder ones. I'd either place them in paper bags on the counter, or without bags, or even in the refrigerator. That resolved that.

Now I'm getting avocados that are frankly, inedible. I mean, they seem okay on the outside, open them, and they're clearly rotten all the way through, but they weren't soft either. Okay, hi compost pile.

These last two months they are hard as rocks or wood, I wait for them to ripe, try to cut and they are like wood all the way through. Impossible to cut, I ended up peeling just to see what the mystery was because they felt soft under the skin. When I peeled it and tried to see why the green flesh was hard as wood, I never found a reason. I even tried to eat it in slivers. Horrible. Hi, compost pile

I've had avocados that were even trying to sprout, poor things, that I've cleaned out those starts, but no matter where the little labels claim they are being produced, it's just getting worse. We've got all kinds of them in the store that I've tried. I used to get some like the beautiful pictures, but no more. We even have had some new form I didn't try, claims to be a diet avocado without fat, it's the size of a large grapefruit and cheap but no one wants them.

Any advice would be appreciated. I tried to explain this as well as I could and am sorry it took so long. At between $1 to $5 apiece, this is going to drive me away from them but if anyone has any solution to this, please, please post!

[MagickMuffin]

8. I would also like an answer to your question, however,

as expensive as avocados are please quit throwing them out. Take them back wherever you bought them and get your money back. I do this when I pay a lot of money for produce that is bad. Why should we be stuck with a product we can't eat.

I've never had a problem returning produce and getting my money back, whether it is with a grocery store or the farmers market.

[freshwest]

9. A good idea, thanks, not easy for me. Also, I need to edit: half an avocado a day, not year.