South Africans love an avocado.
It’s a delicious fruit that Africans have embraced and cultivated for ages – while we know SA’s first avocado orchards were planted in 1933, many believe avos came to the continent with Dutch settlers from their West India colonies as early as the 1600s. However, we can all agree it deserves some extra plate-time for World Avocado Month in June.
As luck would have it, our South African avocado growing season is in full production in June with the buttery, creamy green-skinned avo varieties are available from March until October and the nutty dark-skinned avos from March until November. Although avocados may vary in colour, shape and size, they are all extremely beneficial and versatile.
The avocado is a favourite throughout the world, a mighty orb of creamy deliciousness, at once palate-cleansing and rich, that can be sliced and diced or mashed into any meal, puds to pap, even offering pristine enjoyment with nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, vinegar or a spoon of atchar.
Celebrate the avocado as June’s hero, a fruit of many moods and two beautiful halves on the winter solstice come Monday 21, when we mark the longest night and shortest day in the southern hemisphere; and as a nutrient-packed breakfast in bed to delight for Father’s Day on Sunday 20.
Embrace its silky perfection in chilli- and cilantro-spiked avocado and mango salsa alongside much-loved South African classics like bunny chow and fruity Cape Malay curries, blitz it into avocado green goddess dressing for drizzling over chakalaka and pap, dombolo, even as an irresistible dip for slap chips, droëwors and sliced biltong, or cut it into crescents, spritz with lemon and serve as a crown (with a little mustard, maybe) on all your chesa nyama steaks and chops. It’s brilliant with boerewors too, and potjie and chicken piri-piri and all that comes out of the African kitchen.
Or take your avos on a global tour this World Avocado Month, serving it perhaps in a Mexican chicken bake, a French Vichyssoise or visit Italy with a lemony pea pasta.
A winter bonus, of course, especially in this time of Covid-19, is that avocados are all about immune support. Did you know avos are high in copper, a source of fibre (5.3g fibre per 100g) and contain antioxidants?
Copper is known to support immune system function. Fibre is essential for good gut health; around 65% of the immune system is housed in the gut, which regulates immunity and helps to protect against invading pathogens that cause disease. While antioxidants are powerful food components that maintain and regulate immune function, and avos contain the antioxidant nutrients lycopene and beta-carotene.
So, plate, palate and physical well-being, the mighty avo ticks all the boxes!
- MEXICAN CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
- AVOCADO VICHYSSOISE SOUP
- LEMONY AVOCADO PEA PASTA
MEXICAN CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 jar tomato salsa (may substitute with 1 can chopped tomato & onion)
- 500 g pumpkin or butternut, seeded, peeled, cut into wedges
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 3 red and yellow peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
- 200 g mixed cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 avocado, stoned, peeled, thinly sliced
For the chilli-lime cream:
- 160 g sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chilli or hot sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Fresh coriander
- Additional mashed avocado or guacamole to serve
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200° In a large bowl toss the chicken thighs and drumsticks with the taco seasoning.
- Spoon tomato salsa over base of a casserole dish. Arrange the pumpkin, onion, peppers and tomatoes over salsa. Top with chicken mixture. Drizzle with oil.
- Bake, turning occasionally, for 35-40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, to make the chilli-lime cream, combine sour cream, chilli sauce and lime juice in a small bowl. Season.
- Arrange the avocado and coriander over the chicken mixture in the pan. Serve with the chilli-lime cream and extra guacamole.
