I know how fortunate I am to live in San Diego. Not just because of the beautiful blue skies, sunshine, and palm trees…
…or the flowers that grow year-round here…
Saw this rose on a run the other day and went back with my camera.
…but it’s a blessing that fruits and vegetables of all kinds, including avocados, are grown locally here.
Including the four, locally grown avocados that I received from California Avocados Direct.
The California Avocados Direct farm is a family-owned and operated farm of the Holtz family. It has been in operation for decades, spanning three generations, and it’s located about a half hour north of where I live.
The farm in 1973
The farm in 2010
Do you know what’s amazing about these avocados? And I’m not just talking about their taste…
…but these avocados were only touched by Ben Holtz and no one else!
Here is a photo of him hand-picking my avocados from the orchard last week with this caption: “Today is a rather mild cool day on the ranch. I am hoping for more warmer weather so the bee’s are excited to get out and pollinate the avocado blossoms.”
Does that just blow your mind that I can literally see where my food came from just up the road from me? It does mine, in a wonderful way!
In this era of food flown in from California (if you don’t live here), Mexico, South America, or all over the world, and touched by dozens or hundreds of people in the food supply chain from field to grocery store, the fact that no one else touched these avocados besides Ben, and Mother Nature, until I opened the box, is amazing to me.
It makes me want to do more to support local agriculture and local farmers and because I do live in San Diego, I can do that with great ease.
For example, here are some pictures I took last summer from the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market. Every Sunday, year round, this amazing market is open offering locally grown and organic or pesticide-free food.
Lots more photos here of the local produce bounty in my area.But back to my avocados. What should I make with my avocados?
They are still ripening so I have time to decide.
I could make guacamole. Or my “Cheater’s” Guacamole with them.
But these avocados seem too special to “cheat” with and I may need to make more traditional guac with these gems.
They would probably make wonderful Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse
No one ever suspects that avocados are the staple ingredient in the mousse. No one.
I bring it to parties and fool everyone who thinks the mousse is full of eggs and butter or that it took a long time to make. Wrong! Four ingredients, five minutes, vegan.
Avocados are a source of healthy fats and do a body good.
If you’re interested in buying avocados and supporting the Holtz family farm and California Avocados Direct, please see their website and they can ship them to you.
Also, Matt Armendariz, photographer extraordinaire, with whom I did the food styling and photography workshop, also posted about a recent trip that he took to the California Avocados Direct farm.
And my friend Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking, was with Matt on that trip to the farm and she also posted about it. They both have great pictures of their day at the farm in their posts.
From my last post about Whirling Around, yes, it was a manic day, indeed.
Questions:
1. Do you support local agriculture in any way? Having a CSA share (community supported agriculture), shopping at your local farmer’s market, buying from local fruit or vegetable stands, or even growing your own produce?
If you’re interesting in CSA’s or joining one in your area, here’s a great link.
As I said, I do what I can do buy locally. However, we all must do what we can given the constraints of our budgets. For example, there are times when TJ’s sells blueberries at half the cost of what blueberries at the farmer’s market are, but that reinforces that sometimes it is more expensive to buy locally grown, pesticide-free food that isn’t flown in from 5000 miles away where the standards are much different on everything from paying the laborers living wages to crop spraying practices.
Also, I realize it’s not easy to eat local if you live in North Dakota in the winter. It’s a good thought, but again, you have to do what you can and what works for you given your geographical area, needs, budget, and so forth.
I am not much of a gardener, and have tried container gardening, but so far, I have been bitten by the gardening bug. The photography bug is more like it.
2. Do you like avocados?
Yes! Silly question!
3. What’s your favorite way to use avocados or fave recipes?
I admit, other than guac, chocolate mousse, massaging them into greens as a salad dressing, or making other basic sauces/dressings with them, I just like to slice them and eat them plain on salads. Simplicity is best for me.
Any great avo recipes or creative uses?
That’s great to know that they are there as I live in San Diego (well right now San Luis Obispo). I went to their website and found out that Ben went to Cal Poly, awesome! I love going to Farmer’s Markets especially up here in SLO and down in San Diego in Encinitas.
LOVE avocados. They’re so damn expensive around here though.
So my sister just got back from San Diego over the weekend. She said it is soooooo amazing, like seriously she wants to move. She is making me go visit it next time. We’ll have to meet up! :)
I have an avocado that is yet to ripen. It is kind of fun to think of how I’ll use it. I think avocados could be a form of currency. They are that yummy and healthy!
Wow! That is so awesome that only one person touched your food before it came to you! That is truly amazing. I am loving all of your pretty pictures!
I love avocados but I always forget we have them in the house. I try to support local produce as much as possible, but it’s very very expensive here… so I’m not able to do it as much as possible. My favorite way to enjoy avocado is mashed up with seasonings and made into a fancy dressing!
I am a huge fan of local produce. Good, fresh guacamole is always my favorite way to have avocados. That or with a great omelet.
That is SO cool, especially that they HAND PICK!! Wow I’m jealous :D
Avocados are amazing! I seriously love them so much. I can’t remember a time in my life when I Haven’t like them! I have been craving them lately too!
SO awesome Averie!!! I love it when the Farmer’s Market starts in the summer… it’s so great to meet the people who grow the crops and know exactly where it’s coming from. There are so many advantages to buying locally, and it always tastes so delicious on TOP of that!
This is awesome! I wish I still lived in CA :) I really, really want to join a CSA and start supporting local farmers/growers. I’m checking a few out near me and am ready to make the plunge!
I saw those other posts about avocados direct and entered the giveaways….I would love to live in a climate with avocados. i dated a guy who lived in Santa Cruz with an avo tree in his backyard. Jealous.
I may have to start ordering from them next year. I’ve been spoiled living here for the last 6 years. I don’t think there will be too many avocados in Dec in northern WI.
I used to have an avo tree in the backyard of one of the houses i lived in here. an an orange, lemon, meyer lemon, herbs, basil, etc trees and plants.
yeah, winters in the midwest, eating locally and seasonally would mean eating snow!
Words cannot explain how jealous I am that you have access to locally grown avocados!!! I LOOOVVEEE avocados. I like them on tacos and on toasted avocado/tomato sandwiches.
I feel the same way about this area, so many wonderful fresh ingredients grown locally. Very cool on the avocados, I used to get bags of them from a friend’s tree while living in Florida and actually started a few trees in my yard from the pits. But we sold the house before the trees produced. :-)
1. Yes, I get a farm box and hit farmer’s markets a lot, just picked up a $20 bag of local walnuts from one today.
2. Yes! I go through quite a few each week.
3. Avocado dressings, guac, dips and just straight up.
$20 worth of nuts..you go girl. cant wait to see what you make!
oh I adore avocados!! their subtle taste and buttery flavor is delicious! I love them in a wrap or sandwich but ill also take guacamole anyday!!!
I have been seeing so many people use avo’s in shakes and it looks so good!!! I must try that soon! I am sure they add to the creaminess of it for sure!
I would love to be a part of a local CSA here in boston! i know there are a bunch, I just need to get myself over there to find out how to be a part of it!
I’m so jealous that you can get local avocadoes! I try to buy mostly local in the summers but avocadoes are an exception because we definitely can’t grow them here in Ontario. :P
I love them on salads and sandwiches, but I’ve also tried baking with them too. Allie @ Live Laugh Eat has a great Avocado Banana Bread recipe!
thanks for the tip off on her bread.
we buy meat at the Farmer’s market and vegetables too! They don’t seem to grow much fruit in GA other than peaches, at least locally but I do buy what I can.