Wendy Ra­hamut

De­light­ful, but­tery, and de­li­cious, av­o­ca­dos are a com­ple­men­tary ad­di­tion to any meal and sal­ad. When mashed and sea­soned they can be served as a dip or sand­wich spread. They are es­pe­cial­ly nour­ish­ing, as they are full of vi­t­a­mins and min­er­als, such as fo­late, vi­t­a­min A, and potas­si­um. They al­so con­tain use­ful amounts of pro­tein, iron, mag­ne­sium and vi­t­a­mins C, E, and B6 and are loaded with mo­noun­sat­u­rat­ed fat­ty acids. The best av­o­ca­dos are un­blem­ished, with smooth and shiny skins. Avoid those that have wrin­kled skins as this in­di­cates that they are ei­ther over ripe, or were picked from the tree too soon. Ripe av­o­ca­dos are usu­al­ly slight­ly soft around the top of the fruit. Here is some in­ter­est­ing av­o­ca­do triv­ia: Av­o­ca­dos range in size and colour ac­cord­ing to the type. They can range from dark green to yel­low to crim­son. They are the on­ly fruits that start to ripen af­ter they have been picked from the tree. A ma­ture pear can be left on the tree up to six months with­out spoil­ing. They have more pro­tein than any oth­er fruit and they al­so have more fat than any oth­er fruit. So as with all oth­er things en­joy them through the sea­son, with­in rea­son.

CREAMY AV­O­CA­DO AND CRAB SOUP

1/2 lb cooked crab­meat, picked over

2 large ripe av­o­ca­dos, peeled, and cut in­to one inch pieces

4 tbs but­ter

1 small onion, minced

1 clove gar­lic minced

1/4 hot pep­per, minced

1 tbs all pur­pose flour

1 cup milk

2 cups chick­en stock

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and black pep­per to taste

1 tbs chopped chives for gar­nish

Mash the crab with the av­o­ca­do and set aside.

In a medi­um saucepan, melt but­ter, add onion, gar­lic and pep­per and cook un­til fra­grant.

Stir in flour and cook un­til mix­ture be­comes slack.

Add milk, and stock, cook stir­ring un­til thick.

Stir in cream and sea­son to taste with salt and pep­per.

Stir in av­o­ca­do and crab.

Cook un­til warm.

Serve gar­nished with chives.

• Serves four

TOMA­TO AV­O­CA­DO SAL­AD

2 large ripe toma­toes, coarse­ly chopped in­to half inch pieces

1/2 green bell pep­per, fine­ly chopped

1 small onion, fine­ly chopped (red or white onion)

1 14 oz tin black beans, drained and rinsed and drained again

1 eight oz tin corn, drained, rinsed and drained again

2 clove gar­lic, minced

4 tbs lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp sug­ar

1 large av­o­ca­do cut in­to half inch pieces

1/3 cup chopped chives

2 tbs chadon beni

salt to taste

Com­bine in a large glass bowl the toma­toes, pep­per, onion, beans and corn.

Com­bine gar­lic, lime juice, olive oil, sug­ar and salt. Whisk well or emul­si­fy with a food proces­sor or

blender.

Pour on­to toma­toes and beans in bowl toss gen­tly

Re­frig­er­ate un­til ready for use, just about one hour.

Be­fore serv­ing add the av­o­ca­do, toss gen­tly, and sprin­kle on chives chador be­ing.

• Serves six

CARIBBEAN GAZ­PA­CHO WITH AV­O­CA­DO AND LIME

1 28 oz tin whole toma­toes, drained

1 tbs lime juice

2 tbs olive oil

1 cup toma­to juice

1 clove gar­lic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sug­ar

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 cup cel­ery, chopped

1 small cu­cum­ber, chopped

1/4 cup sliced olives

1/2 hot pep­per, seed­ed and chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion, soaked in cold wa­ter for half hour

1/4 cup green bell pep­per, chopped

1 small av­o­ca­do, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or chadon beni

In a blender puree toma­toes with juice, lime juice, pep­per, gar­lic, salt, oregano and toma­to juice.

Stir in the bal­ance of in­gre­di­ents. Sprin­kle with olives and herbs.

Stir in av­o­ca­do be­fore serv­ing.

Chill be­fore serv­ing.

• Serves six to eight