In my house, an overripe avocado is like an overripe banana. It doesn’t exist.
This explains why we rarely eat banana bread. Why banana fro-yo is such a prize. Why avocado dressing is some sort of far reaching dream.
But now and then, every once in a while, there comes along an avocado with just a few brown age spots. Some unsightly blemishes; an avocado with no personal faults aside from having been left in the fruit bowl for one too many days.
I love overripe avocados, just like I love overripe bananas. They’re perfect. Creamy. Soft. Full of possibilities. Practically begging me to smoosh them with a fork (not together, of course, although I have seen some promising avocado banana bread recipes over the past couple of days!) Begging to be loved and used and appreciated. I’m asking you, how could a girl possibly say no?
“It’s about time,” I thought to myself, “that I have an avocado dressing sitting in my fridge.”
I also decided that it was about time I use up some of the frozen, “fresh” basil that a friend had given me over the summer. Despite my fears, it still tastes just as good as it did when I first recieved it. Bright and brimming with summer!
Once all the ingredients were in the processor, I just let them do their thing. Mixing and mingling and just hanging out.
And then I made a tropical salad filled to the brim with black beans, fresh pineapple, garlic rubbed chicken and diced bell peppers.
And then I made an oath to always have an overripe avocado on hand.
Avocado Citrus Dressing—adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health Cookbook
(Makes 2 cups)
Be sure not to use too much water when you’re thinning out the dressing. Otherwise, the result will be a watered down guacamole look-alike. Not a good thing!
This dressing can also work well as a veggie or a pita dip, if you keep it thick and creamy. In the same way, it can also be used as a spread on sandwiches and things like that. The bright lemon flavors add a summery note to this zingy avocado dressing. You’ll enjoy it any which way you serve it. 😀
(p.s. As is true with many dressings, this tastes best when served the following day!)
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1/3 c. orange juice
- 4 T. lime juice
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro or basil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- salt to taste
- dash of cayenne or ground black pepper
- honey or agave to taste (optional)
- 1-2 T. olive oil
- In a blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Add a little water if dressing is too thick. Add salt to taste. Store in refrigerator for about a week and bring to room temperature before serving (this prevents congealing.)
Question: How do you make use of overripe fruit in your house? If apples are over done, I like to make applesauce or muffins. Bananas are obviously turned into banana bread, or frozen for later use. And pears? I’m hoping they overripen soon so I can find out. 😀
Running To Slow Things Down 