Holy guacamole! People are stealing avocados. A recent front-page story in The New York Times told how these thieves in the night — especially when the moon is full — drive to California avocado groves, steal the fruit right off the tree and load them into large pickup trucks. According to the story, grove owners are losing thousands of dollars in revenue. The theft, it seems, takes place mostly during football season. Fans prefer guacamole and salsa with their corn chips.
I recently bought four large top-quality avocados, grown in Mexico, for $1 apiece at Whole Foods Market. Iovine Produce in the Reading Terminal Market is selling them for 99 cents. I didn’t catch their origin, but they were smaller than the ones I found at Whole Foods. With a new crop of winter recipes, avocados are not just for guacamole anymore.
I slice one up and add it to a salad. If I have some Stilton or gorgonzola on hand, I crumble it up and make a vinaigrette dressing. Avocado and blue cheese is a delicious combination. I also have made a creamy avocado soup. Sometimes I add a small handful of tiny gulf shrimp and a dash of curry to the soup.
Several weeks ago, I enjoyed a delicious entr�e salad at Loie just off Rittenhouse Square. French-born chef Jeremy Duclat prepared a perfect confit of duck and sat a portion atop a bed of sliced endive, scattered some almonds on top, added imported Italian gorgonzola and tossed it in a light vinaigrette.
Leeks are another tasty winter offering. I like to braise them and serve them as a side dish. Or I wrap a thinly sliced piece or two of top-quality deli ham around each leek, place them in a baking dish, top them with a rich cheese sauce and bake them in the oven.
Red and green cabbage are hearty during the cold months. Sure, we reach for them when we make cole slaw, but cabbage is a nutritious vegetable, packed with vitamin C. Did you ever think of cooking cabbage as a side dish or adding it to a stir-fry?
Here are recipes for winter vegetables.
Avocado Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, peeled and sliced
3 large avocados, peeled and diced
Dash of curry powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (32-ounce) package chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
Chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish
Directions:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-quart pot. Add the shallot and saut� until translucent, about three to five minutes. Add the avocados, curry powder, kosher salt and pepper. Saut� for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
When the mixture is cool, puree it in batches in a food processor or blender. Return the mixture to the pot. When ready to serve, add the half-and-half or light cream. Heat the soup thoroughly.
Pour the soup into six warm soup bowls. Top with some fresh chopped Italian parsley.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: You can substitute two (15-ounce) cans of chicken stock or vegetable stock for the packaged variety. You also can substitute one small onion for the shallot. This soup can be served cold in warm weather.
Endive Salad
Ingredients:
12 Belgian endive, washed and sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 pound imported gorgonzola cheese
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound smoked breast or turkey, chicken or duck
Directions:
Place the endive in a salad bowl. Scatter the almonds all over the endive and add the gorgonzola. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad.
Place the salad on four chilled salad plates. Evenly distribute the smoked breast of turkey, chicken or duck among the four plates.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You can buy smoked turkey, chicken and duck in gourmet markets and poultry shops. Some delicatessens also sell smoked products. Smoked turkey always is available at Godshall’s in the Reading Terminal Market.
Braised Leeks with Ham
Ingredients:
8 large leeks, split and thoroughly washed
8 slices top-quality ham such as Black Forrest
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (28-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the leeks and blanch them for a few minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove them from the water, place in a colander and run cold water over them. Drain well.
When the leeks are cool enough to handle, wrap two slices of ham around each leek. Place them, in a single layer, in a baking dish. Add the black pepper. Pour the Alfredo sauce on top of the leeks.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the Alfredo sauce is bubbly.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You can add some shredded cheddar cheese or some Parmigiano-Reggiano to the Alfredo sauce.
Braised Cabbage
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
Directions:
Heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Raise the heat to high and add the shredded cabbages, tossing them around for a few minutes. Add the kosher salt, pepper and wine. Toss well. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Toss well before serving.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: You can add two diced apples, such as Granny Smiths, or two diced pears, such as Anjou, to the cabbage as it braises. Some people add a teaspoon or 2 of brown sugar while the cabbage cooks.
