"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> Cub stores have a 2# bag of avocadoes for $4.88 this week. Eight
> avocadoes, averaging 4 ounces each. I am finding small pits with
> substantial flesh >

Awesome price. Haas or Fuertes?

> HWSRN doesn't like them; I can eat one while standing at the sink with a
> spoon. From this batch I've put one into my salad and mashed another
> with a little onion powder and s&p and smeared it on toast (homemade,
> no-knead 'artisan' bread '-)

That is my favorite way to eat them. Cut in half, pitted, little squeeze of
lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Then eat them with a spoon. Of
course guacamole is a close second.

> About ripening them. . . .these little guys haven't been completely ripe
> when purchased. I have one bag on the counter right now that I'll be
> eating in the next few days. If I bought a bag (assuming the little
> guys are still underripe when I do) on Saturday of this week, can I
> stick the bag in the fridge to stunt the ripening until mid-week next
> week and then take it to the counter to ripen? Or doesn't that work?

A week is a bit much. But if you leave them out of an enclosed bag they
will ripen much slower. Hard to say because sometimes those suckers are
hard as a rock and will take 5 days or more to get nice and soft. If it
were me I'd keep them really cool for a few days then let them ripen in the
open air. If your fridge has a salad drawer that would be perfect.

> DD, WhatshisnamehisnameisJamie, and the BRG are coming down next weekend
> and I'm thinking we might enjoy some guacamole and chips when they're
> here. You know more about this than I do. Is that a practical idea or
> not? Can I store the ripened ones in the fridge for --- how long before
> use?

If they get really ripe you can make the guacamole ahead of time. The lime
juice will keep them green. Of course guacamole is best fresh. When I
worked restaurants we would cut them in half, peel and seed them then leave
them in ice water with lime juice for up to 24 hours. Figure 5 days to
ripen them before they start getting icky inside. They will still be edible
just not especially pretty. But yes, a week is doable. Figure they have
been in cold storage already for more than a week. The cold does retard
ripening. When I want to ripen them really fast I put them in a paper bag
with a banana or an apple. That cuts the time in half. 2-3 days is all it
takes that way.

> This turned out to be longer than I'd thought it would be. :-/
>
> How do you like to eat yours? I've never done anything exotic with them
> (soup, ice cream > you do with them when they're in house. TIA.

Soitanly, nyuck nyuck!

Oh my: guacamole, I have made avocado soup, I love an avocado and cucumber
salad. I will cut a couple into large diced pieces, then the same with a
peeled cucumber, then some quartered button mushrooms and toss it with some
lime juice and salad dressing du jour then fold in crumbled cheese. Usually
the dressing is ranch or bleu cheese for me. Then chill it for an hour or
2. I put them on hamburgers, I make pita and avocado sandwiches with
sprouts and cheese, I make California sushi rolls, I like avocado and mango
salsa served with fish, I like seviche with avocado, I like a bacon and
avocado omelet - bacon is a natural with avocado. I would think a gazpacho
soup would be good with chunks of cold avocado.

Citrus and bacon are natural partners. Avocado and most any fish work
really well even if you just serve nice slices of avocado. A cold papaya
salad and chilled slices of rare grilled beef are really good. I don't eat
raw beef but I know a place that serves it with a avocado and mango salad
with lots of lime and lemon juice and herbs. If you cut one in half then
cut it into thin slices but not all the way from end to end, leave the
narrow part intact, you can fan them out for a lovely accompaniment. Pureed
avocado salad dressing is great. I can go on. You can do a lot with them.

One thing is they are not low calorie. Very rich. Citrus really cuts
through that and keeps the palette clean.

Paul