Coupon Clipper: Avocados

2007_01_avocado%20-%201.jpg Regardless of what Key Foods has to say, not many people need 10 avocados. It is the fattiest fruit in the kingdom and supplies some 25 percent of your daily monounsaturated fat needs. Who needs 10 of these besides Super Bowl party planners in need of a mega-batch of guacamole? Key Food’s hope is that the low price per piece, $1, will bring interest, and to their credit, it worked.

Sure they weren’t California Hass, but they were still Hass, and since avocados can sometimes run up to $3 a piece, this deal had to be seized. It also needed to be well planned, because a two-person household is going to get sick of them real quick. Though they can be added to countless different meals, they usually only appear raw. We couldn’t think of one time we'd had a cooked avocado, so decided to check it out.

2007_01_avocado%20-%204.jpg We couldn’t find anything about cooking them, except a vague warning in the Joy of Cooking that bad things would happen. We scooped half an avocado out and sauteed it in a little olive oil over low heat just to see what would happen. It actually held together fairly well -- we had imagined a pool of green goo -- but just like the Joy of Cooking warned me, the delicate butteriness of raw avocados turns bitter the longer it’s cooked. Mine tasted like eggs. It was not pleasant.

So you're going to have to be creative, and though you may want to, you can't eat guacamole for 5 days straight. Here are 10 things to do with 10 avocados besides guacamole:

2007_01_avocado%20-%202.jpg 1. Avocado Dressing - Creamy and smooth, and it will go perfectly with just about any vegetable you throw in.
2.Cobb Salad
3. California Sandwich, aka BALT - This deviation on the summer staple BLT, adds some glue to the ingredients. Where bacon leads, avocado is usually game to follow. The California Sandwich from Chocolate and Zucchini looks good, too.
4. Tortilla soup - chunks of fresh avocado and another beautiful layer to this soup.
5. Fried Eggs with Shaved Avocado - Slices are a perfect compliment, but this is also the perfect time to use your not-quite-there-yet ones. Just grate them like cheese atop any style of eggs you wish.
6. Sushi - California roll, anyone?
7. Avocado Daquiri - I cannot vouch for this.
8. Cold Avocado Corn Soup
9. Sweetened Avocado on the Half Shell -
10. Avocado Conditioner

If none of these creative uses for avocado interest you, and all you want is a nice bowl of guacamole, don't worry. Though you’re definitely nudged to buy 10; when we asked the checkout lady how much they were individually, she said, “Oh, don’t worry. They are just a dollar a piece.” Anyone have some original ideas for extra avocados?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Nick Kindelsperger in Food on January 17, 2007 2:48 PM

Comments [rss]

Jon

The old Funky Nassau (where the Bourgeois Pig is now) had grilled avacados with a spinach mousse, which were absolutely delicious. The weirdest thing about them was that you (or at least I) could eat the avacado skin, and it too was delicious.

olivia1480

I don't know if anyone else drinks this, but I grew up on the stuff. Avocado milk shakes. Milk, H20, Sugar and the the all important avocado in a blender. It's fabulous on a hot day. If your too lazy to break out the blender just chop up the avocado put all the ingrediants in a bowl and have it for dessert or breakfast.

gattogrosso

Back in the San Francisco area, I used to have avocado milkshakes at a Vietnamese place near San Jose, and avocado ice cream was available from some of the Chinese ice cream places (and the renowned Mitchell's as well). Mmm...

Noelle

I have an avocado for breakfast most mornings. Split it in half, thow away the pit, and fill the center with salsa. Of course, I live in Poughkeepsie, where Avocados routinely cost $1 a piece, and you don't have to buy 10.

Roadblock

You actually can cook Avocados. But don't cook them when they're ripe. You want to use one that is still hard, at least a day or more from being ripe.

It works best over a BBQ grill. Cut it in half, remove the pit (which will be more difficutl than usual because the Avocado is hard and not soft & squishy yet). Slice each Avocado half into four or six long pieces. Put on a grill for about 2 minutes each side (until you see grill marks. Then remove.

It goes real well with some potatos (which you can rub with olive oil, salt and pepper then grill) some spinach or other leafy green, hard boiled eggs and roasted red peppers. I've also put Artichoke hearts in the salad too.

This time of year if you're not the BBQ in winter type (which I am) you could do the same in your broiler I'm sure.

Happy eating.

Sam

One of our favorite things to do with Avocado is to make an avocado melt. Basically, just a grilled cheese sandwich with thin slices of avocado and a squeeze of lime between the slices of bread and cheese.

cv

avocado ruined my life :(

anomalous

avocado ice cream is surprisingly delicious!

anonymass

Dude, that picture is totally NSFW.

Lisa (Homesick Texan)

Deep fried avocado!

huh?

Is there anyone who really ever thinks you have to buy X items to get the "X items for $Y" advertised price? That's crap. Do a little division in your head, and if the price per unit doesn't ring up correctly talk to the cashier.

Yeah, that's a pain, but it's less of a pain than 1) finding something to do with 10 avocados or 2) wasting most of your unwanted 10-avocado motherlode.

janelle

avocado margarita!!!

Amanda

Fine Fare always has Avocados for .99!

bklynd

"Key Food does this on all the specials...Just buy one and you get the price..."

True! But wait until one of the sales fails to ring up, then the brain-dead cashier will tell you "uh, that's because you gotta buy 10."

stizl

Fresh guacamole five days in a row sounds good to me.

J

O.K. salt to taste....

oh, and if you want it spicier add a chopped jalapeño pepper

Matt B.

I've made this apple and avocado smoothie before. It's not too bad. Texture is a little weird at first.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26906,00.html?rsrc=search

Benjamin Kabak

J: That's one salty guacamole recipe you got there.

swedish viking

The avocado tartare at Gobo is amazing.

avocado joe

Key Food does this on all the specials. They offer the bulk discount on individual items. Who needs 10 bottles of dish soap at a time? Just buy one and you get the price.