Tamborine Mountain is known Australia wide for its plentiful, magnificent avocadoes that can be bought at the road side honesty stalls.
They are available all year round, depending on the variety. At the moment the rough pebbly purple, black skinned Hass are in season: they have creamiest flesh of all the varieties.
My favourite is the Anaheim, which is the extra large Emu egg size that is available at the “Green Shed”. The Green Shed is Tamborine Mountain's weekly fresh produce market. It is situated on the Tamborine Showgrounds, Main Western Road.
Chicken, Avocado & Grape Salad
Ingredients
- Leaves from 1 soft lettuce, washed and dried
- 1 cooked chicken, bones, flesh torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 stalks celery, angle sliced
- 250g mixed black and green grapes, preferably seedless
- 1 large avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp flaked or slivered almonds, toasted
Curry Yoghurt Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp curry powder
- Tsp salt and grinds of black pepper
Method
Divide lettuce leaves between 4 serving bowls.
Place chicken and other salad ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Stir together yoghurt or cream, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Gently toss through salad.
Spoon salad on top of lettuce leaves.
Variation: Use apricots or peaches when in season instead of grapes.
Tamborine Mountain avocadoes are bountiful and large, and if I am visiting friends on the coast or Brisbane, I take some as a gift. They cannot help but be impressed, and I just modestly say they are typical of the size available on our wonderful mountain.
Other varieties are the Reed, which are the round pale flesh ones that peak in November. The Sharwil is the most pear shaped and they are available April to August. Wurtz is plentiful from June to October.
How lucky are we! I just have to drive along any of our local roads on the mountain at any time of the year and avocadoes are always there.
If you are a foodie like me, then I'm sure you will already know the gustatory pleasures of a perfect avocado.
Split and consumed with nothing more than a good squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a flick of best olive oil and balsamic vinegar, flecks of sea salt and ground black pepper, it offers a sensuous solitary eating experience.
The flesh is smooth and creamy and the flavour nutty and rich. With a glass of chilled Witches Falls Verdelho it is a perfect little meal.
Certainly greater more glamorous embellishments can be used, for the avocado is happy partner to all kinds of different flavour profiles - prawns, tomatoes, chillies, garlic, smoked chicken, crisp fried prosciutto or bacon to name but a few.
Rocket, Avocado and Bacon Salad
Simply assemble 120g rocket leaves, 1 sliced avocado and 3 rashers crispy bacon on a platter. Toss with 1/4 cup vinaigrette, with shavings of 30g fresh Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top. Easy and delicious!
Uses For The Avocado
There is just a day or two between the luscious, creamy melt-in-the-mouth texture of a perfectly ripe avocado and one that has turned brown and horrid.
At perfect ripeness the fruit should give just a little when cradled in the palm of your hand and the flesh should be a soft, creamy green.
Do not store avocados in the fridge before they are ripe as this will turn the flesh brown. Once cut they brown quickly, so drizzle cut surfaces with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Avocados are best added to salads last.