Avocado, avocado, avocado, avocado….

I sit here sipping, or rather sucking, on a thick green drink, an avocado smoothie. Earlier today I indulged in avocado pudding – a smoothie so thick it had to be eaten with a spoon. The large avocado trees – a fuerte and an undetermined, but delicious, variety – in our backyard are in heavy production. My husband has told me that we do not have to consume them all, but I just cannot let good food go to waste.

Avocado “pudding,” actually avocado smoothie too thick to suck.

I have given many bags to friends. The first bag went to someone who used them for appetizers in an informal, pocket restaurant in LA.

Forager collecting avocados.

The second bag was delivered to a group of LA County Master Gardeners from low income areas. A third bag went to the main office where my husband works. The fourth and fifth bags went to a couple of friends with whom I have been exchanging home garden produce for some years. Grapefruit will be coming my way soon! Each time my son and daughter-in-law stop by I drop a couple of avocados in their baby’s diaper bag. I carry extras in my purse to deliver to any willing taker. And anyone who enters my house is not allowed to leave without taking a few off our hands. Even my dog, Milo, is doing his part to reduce the avocado surplus by eating some pretty nasty looking ones that the squirrels nibbled on before dropping them from the tree.

Avocado stash after the windstorm. Green ones are fuerte, do not know what variety the black ones are but they have a delicious nutty flavor.

In addition to giving away our bounty, I peeled, chopped, and drizzled with lemon juice some of the “damaged” avocados, those that taste great but do not look so good on the outside. These now reside in the freezer where they will stay until the day comes that I once again crave this wonderful fruit.

Pureed avocado and orange piece. This morning I juiced the orange so the smoothie was smoother.

I have made grapefruit and avocado salad, a delectable combination especially with the addition of cilantro, salt and pepper, and a touch of oil and balsamic vinegar. Of course, a bowl of guacamole sits in the refrigerator. I like it coarsely chopped with tomatoes, finely minced onions and red, hot chili peppers (also in abundance in my garden), and a generous amount of lime juice. And each night our green salad is adorned with chunks of avocado.

I do not just eat these green-skinned wonders. I also rub them on my hands instead of using lotion. Once I tried to wash my hair with them but I had trouble removing all of the clumps of green – not a good look or feel. Maybe I will try again, scrubbing a bit harder. A friend suggested an avocado facial. I don’t have cucumbers, but I think this is a must-do! Next week, in preparation for the holidays, I will indulge in a rejuvenating and youthifying facial.

Other suggestions in response to my pleas for help include recipes for avocado chocolate pudding, avocado ice pops, and avocado ice cream. Hard for me to believe that this rich food is improved with the addition of butter or cream, but I am definitely going to give them a try. Come to think of it, what isn’t improved with the addition of butter and cream? I have also come across recipes for avocado soup, especially with seafood,  but they are all cold, and it is just too chilly outside to enjoy cold soup. Maybe I will use the frozen avocados for this in the summer.

Facebook has an avocado page. There’s a picture of grilled avocado… hmmmm. Another picture of avocado pie. I gotta tell you, that color is a turnoff in the pie crust. There is also a link to “54 Ways to Eat an Avocado.”

Though a fancy glass and a silver spoon make this seem classy, it is still getting increasingly difficult to swallow.

Give me a call, or shoot me an email if you want some avocados and live close enough to pick them up. And if you have any other great avocado recipes to share, please post them!