South Africans love an avocado.
It’s a delicious fruit that Africans have embraced and cultivated for ages – while we know SA’s first avocado orchards were planted in 1933, many believe avos came to the continent with Dutch settlers from their West India colonies as early as the 1600s. However, we can all agree it deserves some extra plate-time for World Avocado Month in June.
As luck would have it, our South African avocado growing season is in full production in June with the buttery, creamy green-skinned avo varieties are available from March until October and the nutty dark-skinned avos from March until November. Although avocados may vary in colour, shape and size, they are all extremely beneficial and versatile.
The avocado is a favourite throughout the world, a mighty orb of creamy deliciousness, at once palate-cleansing and rich, that can be sliced and diced or mashed into any meal, puds to pap, even offering pristine enjoyment with nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, vinegar or a spoon of atchar.
Celebrate the avocado as June’s hero, a fruit of many moods and two beautiful halves on the winter solstice come Monday 21, when we mark the longest night and shortest day in the southern hemisphere; and as a nutrient-packed breakfast in bed to delight for Father’s Day on Sunday 20.
Embrace its silky perfection in chilli- and cilantro-spiked avocado and mango salsa alongside much-loved South African classics like bunny chow and fruity Cape Malay curries, blitz it into avocado green goddess dressing for drizzling over chakalaka and pap, dombolo, even as an irresistible dip for slap chips, droëwors and sliced biltong, or cut it into crescents, spritz with lemon and serve as a crown (with a little mustard, maybe) on all your chesa nyama steaks and chops. It’s brilliant with boerewors too, and potjie and chicken piri-piri and all that comes out of the African kitchen.
Or take your avos on a global tour this World Avocado Month, serving it perhaps in a Mexican chicken bake, a French Vichyssoise or visit Italy with a lemony pea pasta.
A winter bonus, of course, especially in this time of Covid-19, is that avocados are all about immune support. Did you know avos are high in copper, a source of fibre (5.3g fibre per 100g) and contain antioxidants?
Copper is known to support immune system function. Fibre is essential for good gut health; around 65% of the immune system is housed in the gut, which regulates immunity and helps to protect against invading pathogens that cause disease. While antioxidants are powerful food components that maintain and regulate immune function, and avos contain the antioxidant nutrients lycopene and beta-carotene.
So, plate, palate and physical well-being, the mighty avo ticks all the boxes!
- MEXICAN CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
- AVOCADO VICHYSSOISE SOUP
- LEMONY AVOCADO PEA PASTA
LEMONY AVOCADO PEA PASTA
Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 140 g spaghetti
- 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and diced
- 100 g frozen petits pois or garden peas
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 50 ml avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook spaghetti according to instructions on the packaging. Add the peas for the last 2-3 minutes. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water.
- Toss the pasta and peas with diced avocado, and cooking water, stir in the lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the reserved cooking water and the avocado oil.
- Season with salt and pepper, and then pile it into two serving bowls. Sprinkle the dill and the remaining Parmesan over the top and serve immediately.
