Summer Abundanza

What a wonderful abundance of produce available in the stores this month. I guess this long hot summer has been good for something. The growing season is still in high gear. Here's a few examples of what was in the produce section of the grocery this weekend for less than one dollar:

Fresh Corn on the Cob --- 4 ears/dollar
Fresh Green Beans -- $.99 per pound
Yellow or Green Summer Squash -- .99 per pound
Fall and Winter Squash -- .99 per pound
Red or White Grapes -- .99 pound
Small bags of assorted apples -- $.99
Ornamental gourds -- dollar a pound


Camouflaged Squash and Gourds

The buy of the weekend was 8 ripe California Haas avocados for 50 cents! We ate avocado salads all weekend long. With prices this good in retail stores, I bet the Farmer's Market and produce stores really had some bargains.


Eight Haas avocados for fifty cents!

Some people prefer the small California avocados to the large Florida varieties. Both are delicious if you catch them at the perfect point of ripeness but I think the Florida avocadoes have a nuttier and richer buttery flavor than the California fruits. Others may differ in opinion so I guess it depends upon what you grew up eating. We grow a lot of different kinds of avocadoes in Florida and the peak of the season has arrived. Check out this picture of all the nice Florida grown varieties.


Hass avocadoes fully ripe

There are at least 50 different varieties of Florida avocados. Varieties are classified as either summer, fall, or winter. The summer fruit has bright green, smooth, thin skin. The fall or winter varieties are also green but have thicker, rough textured skins. A single tropical Florida avocado can grow up to 5 pounds in weight. I've always been partial to the autumn avocadoes but I eat them all year long. Since we live in North Florida, I miss having avocado trees in my yard like we did in South Florida. Still, I wouldn't give up the change of seasons for avocado trees as long as they are abundant in the markets and I have friends upon whom I may impose to bring them up from down South.

Avocado is a welcome addition to any salad at my house. I like to cut it into chunks or slices, sprinkle it with lemon or lime juice and arrange it on a green salad with a dollop of mayonnaise or sour cream. Another great salad is made with a melon ball tool. Use the melon ball tool to make small round balls of the avocado and do the same with canteloupe. Mix both in a bowl with wee cherry or grape tomatoes and dress with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. It's one of my fave salads and the green avocado with the orange cantaloupe and red cherry tomatoes is beautiful served on colorful salad greens or in berry bowls. Of course, avocadoes are a natural when served with shrimp, crab or grapefruit salad. When you can't eat any more fresh fruit, you can make guacamole and when you can't eat any more of that, you can use it to moisturize your hair.