It’s no secret that we love avocados—and the feelings are mutual.  Among my youngest’s first words was cado for the smooth, delectable fruit that made her tummy feel happy and healthy.  More than a decade later she’s still scooping them liberally, whenever and wherever she can.  And with good reason.  Besides their irresistibly buttery-rich green flesh, avocados are loaded with nutritional benefit, too.  Current research demonstrates their potent anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits (read about it here).

Luckily California is cado country, and we find the gravelly-skinned fruit tucked into our Freshness Farm bag on a regular basis.  We’re set for everything from avocado toast to green gelato (!) and an unconventional lassi (!!), as well as destinations in between.  Guacamole, move over for the upstart newcomers.

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Two salads might share a common basis, but the secret to what makes each distinct lies in the choice of sauce—and the mood it inspires.  Could be scooped from a jar in haste or whirred in the food processor on a leisurely afternoon.  Either way, we start with Israeli couscous, then let the stock pile of vegetables, and the dressing, steer the direction.  If there’s time and herbs, we grind fresh pesto, then dollop the extras into freezer-ready containers, poised for future duty, when life is less leisurely.  On a hectic night, we’re prone to yank a jar from the pantry—pepper-laced harissa perhaps, its kick of spice reflects the energy already bouncing around the room.  Or perhaps the leftover pesto is a wiser choice, a dose of cooling cilantro might calm things down a notch or two.  Either direction works—our destinations equally tasty, if entirely different.

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