Monday, June 30, 2008

Something different

When I see something a bit different at the market, you can pretty much guarantee that it will end up in my basket. This was exactly the case when I spied this little fellow

cocktail avocado ©


I'm not going to play "What am I?" as there is a far more pressing question to be asked. This is a cocktail avocado and like all baby vegetables or fruit, they are incredibly cute.

Just how small is it? Well, to put it in perspective you should be able to gauge its size by the eggcup in the next photo

cocktail avocado ©


I should add that this was one of the larger ones.

How these differ from the full-sized versions is that there isn't a seed -

cocktail avocado - halved ©


there's a small hollow in what will eventually house the seed. Preparation is simple, just peel and eat.

Besides just enjoying them whole, I'm having trouble decided how else I could use them - I don't want to chop them as that just defeats the purpose of buying them this size so my question is, does anyone have any ideas on the best way of utilising this product?

14 comments

  1. So cool! Never knew avocados came this small.

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  2. AnonymousJuly 01, 2008

    I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for these at the markets!

    Perhaps keeping with the theme of finger food you could serve them as a base for little canapes. For example topped with a tomato, red onion, coriander, and lime salsa and some sea salt they'd be like a deconstructed guacamole.

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  3. How cute! I'm a California transplant and I've never seen anything like those.
    We love using regularly sized avocados to serve crab salad...you could just do a scaled down version for appetizers.
    ~erin

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  4. Wow! So cute! I think apps are definitely the way to go, such as tiny slices on top of canapes. Or you could serve the halves filled with a dollop of something as an amuse-bouche. Put 'em on a deviled-egg tray.

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  5. I love that with every visit to your site, I learn something. You rock! (and your mini-cados are too cute for words!)

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  6. Well, for someone like me who lives on their own, a mini avocado would be just the right size for one meal. With a normal size one I usually eat half and put the rest in the fridge where it normally stays forgotten about.

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  7. Hi Kalyn - some are about the size of a large olive

    Thanks Tim - i do enjoy deconstructed offerings, you've got me thinking!

    Another great idea, thanks Ern!

    Thanks Kitt - a faux devilled egg, lots of potential there!

    Thanks Katie - that really so sweet of you, it's made my day!

    Hi Ela - I can sympathize with the half avocado leftovers, these certainly cut down on the waste.

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  8. I've had those seedless avocados in London at the Borough Market and, well, I just ate them as avocados :)
    Lovely photos!

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  9. On skewers, with small pear tomatoes, cilantro leaves, pieces of onion, some small slices of hot capsicum, drizzled in olive oil and lime, and salted. They'd be kind of like "deconstructed guacamole" and could go along with fresh fajitas, to slide off the skewers into the fajitas.

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  10. That's so adorable. I can't believe how small they are!

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  11. When we lived in Namiba we had a tree full of these little suckers - I used to stand under the tree with the salt server and just eat them there. Delicious!

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  12. Thanks Pille - the simplest ways are often the best!

    Thanks David - I can certainly picture that!

    Thanks Y - they do look like olives and they certainly caused to me to look twice

    Thanks sounds like heaven Nina!

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  13. AnonymousJuly 05, 2008

    How easy are they to squeeze out if the skin? If you could cut them in half as you show and just pick them up to squeeze out you could just put some kind of topping on them and squeeze them into your mouth. As a fan of avocado and mango salad I would suggest a mango mousse on top. I don't know if that sounds weird or not.

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  14. Hi Flapple - if they are ripe, you can peel the skin away.

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