My uncle used to have an avocado tree in his garden, and my hazy childhood memories are of an ever-fruiting tree, stooped in the middle of the lawn, with clusters of hefty fruit permanently threatening to bring it down. The bunches lay so low that, even as small children, we could reach them pretty easily. I am not sure why we bothered, though: avocados don’t really ripen on the tree, and the fruit was so bitter that any we tasted were instantly spat out; the edges of my uncle’s garden were dotted with damaged avocados, hidden from our parents’ watchful eyes.
With age, though, came a certain degree of wisdom, and with it an understanding that the avocado is the most marvellous thing, so long as you eat it when it is ready. I always have at least a couple in my fruit bowl, waiting patiently for that moment when a gentle squeeze just yields to my thumb’s pressure. The attraction of a ripe avocado, for me, lies both in its wonderfully grassy taste and velvety texture, but perhaps even more so in the fact that you don’t need to cook avocado to transform it into a wholesome dish. It can be turned into a salsa, spread, soup or dressing with hardly any trouble at all, as long as you get the timing right.
Avocado butter on toast with tomato salsa
The butter needs to be very soft, so it blends properly with the avocado. Don’t melt it, though, because that will cause it to separate; instead, leave it at room temperature for a few hours. Serves two generously, or four as a snack.
2-3 very ripe avocados, flesh scooped out (you need about 250g in total)
80g unsalted butter, softened and cut into 2cm cubes
3 limes – finely grate the zest, then juice, to get 1½ tbsp of each
Salt and black pepper
10g tarragon leaves, finely chopped
10g dill, finely chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 tsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
4 slices sourdough bread
½ small garlic clove, peeled
¼ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
Put the avocado and butter in the small bowl of a food processor with half the lime zest, half the lime juice and half a teaspoon of salt (or use a stick blender). Blitz smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if need be, then transfer to a small bowl with two-thirds of the herbs. Fold in, then refrigerate for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes, capers, remaining lime zest and juice, oil and a good grind of pepper, and set aside until needed.
Grill or toast the bread, then rub one side of each piece with the cut side of the half garlic clove. Leave the toast to cool down a little, then spread each slice with the avocado butter and top with salsa. Sprinkle on the cumin and remaining herbs, add a final grind of pepper and a drizzle of oil, and serve.
Avocado soup with garlic oil
This refreshing summer soup will keep in the fridge for up to a day. The garlic oil can also be made ahead of time, and will keep for about two days in a sealed jar, so make extra for drizzling on toast, salads or noodles. Serves four as a first course.
60ml olive oil
½ tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Salt
180g frozen peas, defrosted
2 very ripe avocados, flesh scooped out
½ cucumber, peeled (about 160g net weight): 120g cut into rough chunks, the rest finely diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced to get 1½ tsp zest and 1½ tbsp juice
1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
80g soured cream
1 tbsp chopped dill
Put two tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan with the cumin and coriander seeds, the garlic and a good pinch of salt. Cook gently on a low heat for eight minutes, stirring often, until the garlic softens when mashed with the back of a spoon. Take care that the oil doesn’t get too hot or the garlic will burn (if it does start to bubble, just take off the heat until it’s cooled down a bit).
Put the peas in a blender with the avocado, cucumber chunks, lemon zest, remaining two tablespoons of oil, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and 400ml cold water. Blitz until very smooth, then chill.
In a small bowl, mix the diced cucumber with the lemon juice, chilli and a pinch of salt.
Divide the chilled soup between four bowls, top with a spoonful each of soured cream and salsa. Drizzle generously with garlic oil and scatter over the dill, and serve.
Gem lettuce with fridge-raid dressing
This dressing came about when I had a load of herbs in the fridge that needed using up. Don’t be too precious about the weight of individual herbs: so long as the total net weight is about the same, you’ll be fine. It’s worth making extra, because it keeps for a day in the fridge and is lovely spooned over all sorts of things, from chicken salad and tuna niçoise to roast root vegetables and tomato and feta salad. Serves four as a side dish.
½ very ripe avocado, flesh scooped out (90g net weight)
3cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (20g net weight)
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 lemons: finely grate the zest of 1 to get 1 tsp, then juice both to get 3 tbsp
1 green chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you don’t like much heat)
1 tbsp tahini
85ml olive oil
Salt
10g basil leaves
10g tarragon leaves
10g dill
10g parsley
10g coriander
4 gem lettuces, trimmed and cut lengthways into eighths
2 tsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Put the avocado, ginger, garlic, lemon zest and juice, chilli, tahini and five tablespoons of oil in the small bowl of a food processor. Add a third of a teaspoon of salt, blitz to a smooth paste, then add the herbs. Blitz again and, with the motor running, slowly add 60ml water until smooth.
Mix the lettuce with two teaspoons of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, then transfer to a platter. Spoon over the dressing, scatter on the sesame seeds and serve at once.
Avocado with curried prawns and lime
Retro, yes, but no less delicious for that. Serve with toasted sourdough to make a starter or a snack. Serves four.
100ml groundnut oil
1 banana shallot, peeled and halved lengthways, then each half cut lengthways into quarters
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
20 fresh curry leaves
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 limes, 1 finely shaved and juiced, the other cut into four wedges, to serve
Salt
300g sustainably sourced raw king prawns, peeled and deveined (cooked peeled prawns are a perfectly acceptable shortcut)
20g mayonnaise
80g Greek-style yoghurt
1½ tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp honey
2 ripe avocados, cut in half lengthways and stoned
Heat 85ml of oil in a small saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the shallot and chilli for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is golden and fragrant. Add the curry leaves, fry for 20 seconds, until crisp, then take off the heat and stir in the coriander and black mustard seeds, lime skin and a pinch of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes, to cool and infuse, then discard the lime skin.
Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium sauté pan on a high heat, then fry the prawns and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt for a minute or two, stirring, until the prawns are cooked through and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt, curry powder, honey, two teaspoons of lime juice and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Finely chop half the prawns and stir into the sauce; toss the remaining prawns in the infused oil.
To serve, put an avocado half on each of four small plates and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt. Spoon in the creamy sauce, then top with the whole prawns, allowing some to fall off around the avocado. Drizzle each portion with a tablespoon of infused oil and sprinkle with the crisp aromatics. Serve with a lime wedge.
