Volume 12, Issue 021 - January 29, 2007 |
Good Day Friend,
Welcome back from the weekend!
I am very excited about this week's Foodservice Daily. We hooked up with the
fine folks representing the
California Avocado Commission at the IFEC Conference in Chicago, Illinois
last fall. This week, they will be our gracious hosts. You are going to learn more
about avocados than you ever thought possible. And...you will also be rewarded
with some VERY tasty recipes.
Let's start at the beginning...
The Hass Mother Tree 1926 - 2002:
In 2002, the tree to which every Hass avocado in the world can
trace its lineage finally succumbed to root rot at the ripe old age of 76. Her
offspring account for 95% of the avocados grown in California, and the fruit of
her labor resulted in one of the state's most important industries. Yet, despite
speculation to the contrary, nobody knows what variety of seed produced the
original Hass Mother Tree.
The tree began life as a mistake - a lucky-chance seedling planted by A.R.
Rideout of Whittier. Rideout, an innovator and pioneer in avocados, was always
searching for new varieties and tended to plant whatever seeds he could find,
often along streets or in neighbors' yards.
For the Rest of the Story
 Avocado
Scallop Ceviche
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops, cleaned
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup clam juice
1/2 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
hot pepper sauce to taste
salt to taste
2 (1 pound) California Avocados, diced
cilantro sprigs - as needed for garnish
Preparation:
Clean and quarter scallops. Cover scallops with lemon juice;
marinate until firm and opaque, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, mix red onion and remaining ingredients, except avocados.
When scallops are ready, drain, reserving lemon juice. Fold scallops and avocado
into ketchup mixture. Stir in some of the reserved lemon juice to taste. Chill
to marry flavors.
Serving Suggestions -
Per Order: Put 2/3 cup ceviche in martini glass or other stemmed glass. Garnish
with cilantro sprigs.
Source:
Avocado.org
 Food
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The History of Avocados
The California avocado is a native American plant with a long, distinguished
history. Today, the most popular of the seven most common varieties is the Hass.
Though the avocado (Persea Americana) originated in south-central Mexico, sometime
between 7,000 and 5,000 B.C, it was several millennia before this wild
variety was cultivated. Archaeologists in Peru have found domesticated avocado
seeds buried with Incan mummies dating back to 750 B.C., and there is evidence
that avocados were cultivated in Mexico as early as 500 B.C.
An Aztec Aphrodisiac
Called ahuacatl in the Aztec language, avocados were a favorite of the Aztecs,
who considered them an aphrodisiac and, therefore, a forbidden fruit. Although
its alluring shape certainly mimics the soft curves of a woman and its many
nutrients might explain the avocado's amorous reputation, science can neither
confirm nor deny that the avocado is an aphrodisiac.
From Aguacate to Avocado
Spanish conquistadores loved the fruit but couldn't pronounce it and changed the
Aztec word to a more manageable aguacate, which eventually became avocado in
English. The first English-language mention of avocado was by Sir Henry Sloane
in 1696.
California's Cash Crop
Fast forward to 1871, when Judge R.B. Ord of Santa Barbara successfully
introduced avocados to the U.S. with trees from Mexico. By the early 1900s,
growers were seeing the avocado's commercial potential.
Today, California is the leading producer of domestic avocados and home to 95%
of the nation's crop. Most California avocados are harvested on 60,000 acres
between San Luis Obispo and the Mexican border, by about 6,000 growers. San
Diego County, which produces 40% of all California avocados, is the acknowledged
avocado capital of the nation.
California avocados are grown year-round. A single California avocado tree can
produce up to 60 pounds of fresh fruit each year, approximately 120 pieces.
Source:
Avocado.org
 |
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 Avocado
Roasted Garlic Dip
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound California Avocados
1/8 cups lemon juice
1 1/3 roasted garlic heads
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/12 cups chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch coarsely ground black pepper
Preparation:
Roughly mash avocado. (Texture should not be smooth.)
Fold remaining ingredients into avocado. Chill 1 hour to marry flavors.
Serve 1/4 cup dip with onion flowers, fried vegetables, chicken wings or use as
a topping for grilled meat, poultry, fish or egg dishes.
Source:
Avocado.org
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