Thanks to the California Avocado Commission, I got to take part in a fabulous weekend filled with “all things avocado”
And, since I couldn’t pack you in my suitcase, and take you there with me, I thought it would be fun to share some photos from my trip along with a little “California Avocados 101”, plus my hands down, new dinner favorite, these Healthy Grain Bowls, Mediterranean Style, with Avocado Tzatziki, that you can make with your own California Avocados, now that they’re in season!
Huge thanks to the California Avocado Commission for sponsoring this fabulous trip. All my travel expenses and meals were paid for, however I didn’t receive any payment for attending, nor was I compensated to write this post. As always, all thought and opinions are 100% my own.
California Avocados 101
After a delicious avocado dinner Friday night at Salt, followed by an avocado packed breakfast at our hotel, The Four Seasons in Westlake Village early Saturday morning, we hopped in to a bus and headed North to Ventura for our first stop on the tour, Brokaw Nursery…
You can see the stages of the avocado from seedling to tree in the photo above, along with a couple of Brokaws’ long-time employees both grafting the seedlings on to the seeds, then planting them in the field where the young avocado trees hang out before they go to the avocado grove, which is where we headed next…
Our stop at Rancho Rodoro to learn about the life of a mature avocado tree {and the life of an awesome avocado farmer, Randy Axell and his equally awesome wife} was one of the highlights of my weekend. Although I have seen avocado trees growing, I don’t think I had ever been to a large avocado grove before. There was such a beauty and peacefulness walking around the Axell family avocado farm, I really didn’t want to leave.
We learned all about Randy’s high tech tool’s {his smart phone} for monitoring the moisture level in his grove to make sure his trees receive the right amount of water {water conservation efforts are already in place}, what happens when a freeze is expected {giant fans that warm up the air surrounding the trees!}, and, my favorite part, the correct way to pick an avocado.
I might have gotten just a little bit carried away with picking all the delicious Hass {rhymes with another word for your derriere} avocados growing on Randy’s farm.
Just call me the avocado bag lady…
But my favorite part of the meal was the super simple avocado gazpacho Chef Pink whipped up with avocados, onion, cucumber, a little lemon juice, sea salt to taste, and flowering corriander on top. Simply divine!
After all that hard work picking {and eating!} avocados, it was time for a quick siesta on the bus as we made our way to the last stop of the day, Mission Produce…
It was fascinating to tour the facility and follow the avocados along the conveyer belt as they got scrubbed, sorted, and packed for travels throughout California and all around the world! Note: if you’re ever visiting Oxnard, you can pick up some of the smaller {but equally delicious} avocados from Mission Produce that didn’t make the cut in to the packing boxes and bags, and bring them home at a deep discount!
And, as if my bag of hand picked avocados wasn’t enough, I also got to take home a bag of avocados packed at Mission Produce. Swoon…
Have you ever noticed the darker green flesh close right by the skin when you cut open a Hass avocado? Well, it’s actually a rich source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin so make sure you get all the flesh when you’re scooping out your avocados, as lutein and zeaxanthin may help protect both your eyes and your skin. Pretty cool, huh?!
And if you needed me to give you one more reason to eat a California avocado today, how about making up a batch of this Creamy Dreamy Avocado Tzatziki to drizzle on top of these delicious, Mediterranean inspired healthy grain bowls!
Healthy Grain Bowls, Mediterranean Style, with Avocado Tzatziki
Ingredients
Avocado Tzatziki
- 1 ripe medium California avocado, such as the Hass variety, peel and seed removed
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
DIY Greek Salad Bowl
- 2 cups baby spinach or other leafy greens
- 2 cups sorghum , cooked
- 1/2 cup hummus
- Assorted veggies, i.e. grape tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, bell peppers, pepperocinis
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- Avocado Tzatziki, recipe above
Instructions
- To make the Avocado Tzatziki, combine avocado, Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice garlic, and sea salt in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon in to a serving bowl and stir in chopped dill. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the DIY Greek Salad bowls, set out all the remaining ingredients in individual serving bowls, and let everyone assemble their own. Top with Avocado Tzatziki before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
[clickToTweet tweet=”These healthy grain bowls w/ gluten free sorghum & creamy avocado tzatziki, are prefect for a nourishing family friendly vegetarian dinner! #glutenfree #MeatlessMonday” quote=”These healthy grain bowls w/ gluten free sorghum & creamy avocado tzatziki, are prefect for a nourishing family friendly vegetarian dinner!”]
And before I go, a quick story about these delicious Mediterranean inspired healthy grain bowls with avocado tzatziki…
Before I served it, Mr. Spicy and my sweet SiSi {Big Tex was at a friend’s house that evening} were both grumbling about “DIY Salad Bowls” for dinner, but they both LOVED every last little bite, so much so that this will be making many repeats on our regular dinner line up.
The best part is that it’s a super flexible meal, so feel free to use whatever grains, veggies, etc, to make it all your own, and use up any leftovers in the fridge. Win, win!
P.S. Want more avocado deliciousness? Here are a few more recipes I’ve made with California Avocados. Enjoy!!
Let’s Chat!
Have you ever been to an avocado nursery, farm, or packing plant before? Did you learn anything new about avocados today? What would you top these healthy grain bowls with???
