Annabel's Garden

Avocados

If you are a greedy person 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, the flavour nutty and rich. With a glass of chilled pinot gris it is a perfect little meal. Certainly greater more glamorous embellishments and titivations can be proffered, 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.

Avocadoes are a biennial species - they fruit once every two years. In my Auckland garden I grow two varieties, the egg drop shaped Hass and the rounder Reed. Hass has a more buttery golden flesh than the nuttier Reed, but these two rank as my two top avocado picks. Avocados will not ripen while they are attached to the tree so need to be harvested any time from 9-12 months after the fruit has set.

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 WITH TOMATOES AND BALSAMIC DRESSING

Avocados, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar are very good company. The key is finding perfectly ripe avocados - if too ripe they have a foul taste. Cradle the fruit gently in your hand and feel if it gives a little, or press at the stem and see if it will push in.

Prepare a recipe of Balsamic Dressing (see below). Choose perfect, just-ripe avocados, allowing half per serve along with 2 cherry tomatoes. At serving time halve avocados and remove stones. Quarter cherry tomatoes and pile into avocado cavities, drizzle with Balsamic Dressing and serve.

Balsamic dressing

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients.

From Annabel's book, Cooking to Impress: Without Stress.
Photos by Nick Tresidder.

CHICKEN, AVOCADO & GRAPE SALAD

Prep	10-15 minutes
Cook	6-8 minutes
Serves	4

leaves from 1 soft lettuce, washed and dried
1 cooked chicken, bones, skin and fat removed, flesh torn into bite-sized pieces; or 400g cooked chicken, sliced
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 or cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp salt and grinds of black pepper

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.

Cook's note: You need to be really fussy about hygiene when handling raw chicken. Make sure you thoroughly wash all tools used and don't allow raw chicken or the tools to come into contact with any cooked foods.

From Annabel’s book, Anyone Can Cook: fresh food for busy lives.
Photography by Annabel Langbein Media.

Cobb Salad Of Corn, Avocado And Tomato With Basil Oil

Serves

4

1 ½ cups whole kernel corn, cooked, or thawed if frozen
4 tomatoes, cored and cut in wedges
1 large just-ripe avocado, cut in chunks
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup basil oil (page 18)
½ tsp salt & grinds of pepper

Toss all ingredients together and season to taste. Serve with meat or poultry.

Storage: Prepared salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 hours. For longer storage add the avocado at serving time. Return to room temperature before serving.

Chicken Cobb Salad
Shred the flesh of 1 cooked chicken or 2 smoked chicken breasts into the salad for a main course.

From Annabel’s book, Assemble: sensational food MADE SIMPLE.
Photos by Nick Tresidder.

Lemon Chilli Grilled Prawns

Sometimes I serve these prawns on their own as a barbecue starter, but for a simple, special lunch or first course pile them on to a quick fresh salad of snow peas and avocado.

Prep	5 minutes
Cook	4 minutes

500g raw prawn tails
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ tsp chopped red chilli
finely grated rind of ½ lemon

Mix prawns with chilli sauce, garlic, chilli and lemon rind. Chill until ready to cook (they can be kept up to 12 hours in the fridge). Lightly oil a barbecue hot plate and cook prawns about 2 minutes each side until they turn pink. Eat as they are or serve on Avocado and Snow Pea Salad J (right). Serves 4-6.

From Annabel's book, The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives.
Photography by Kieran Scott

Avocado and Snow Pea Salad

Prep	5 minutes
Serves	6

200g snow peas
200g sugar snaps
½ telegraph cucumber, cut into 4cm long batons
1 large spring onion, finely sliced
2 just-ripe avocados, cut into chunks
Dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or mint

Pour boiling water over snow peas. Drain at once and chill briefly in cold water. Just before serving combine all the dressing ingredients and toss with snow peas and other ingredients. Divide between serving plates and top with prawns.

From Annabel's book, The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives.
Photography by Kieran Scott