Rouses_FINAL_September-October-2017

the Football issue

Ripe for the Pickin’ by Crescent Dragonwagon

A vocados are having a moment. From fantastical, photographic, hashtagged caprices on Instagram to the springing up of “avocado toast” on menus coast to coast and appearances on countless “top ten nutritional superfoods” lists; from moving past guacamole to being the featured ingredient in such dishes as soup (chilled, mostly, but occasionally hot), salads, bowls, sandwiches galore, smoothies, green drinks and milkshakes, even dessert —puddings! pies! ice cream! — the avocado is right smack dab in the middle of its 15 minutes of fame. If you want proof, go to Brooklyn, New York, the borough felt by many (certainly its residents) to be the epicenter of hip,

where the Avocaderia, “the world’s first avocado bar …for your indulgence, for your well-being,” is located. You can start with a “Chill out” (avocado on multigrain bread, with chili flakes), groove to “Beets & blue” (an avocado mash salad with beets, arugula, blue cheese and arugula), have a smoked salmon “Avoburger” for your main course, and conclude with an Avocado “chocolate mousse.”Who could ask for more …except those who might like a little less. And yet, if avocados are having a moment, one is tempted to ask, what’s time to an avocado? After all, remains found in what is modern-day Peru carbon-date the avocado to nearly 15,000 years of age. At that point, avocados were wild, gathered

by our forebears in frost-free, subtropical climates throughout Central America and into present-day California. But after about 10,000 years of gathering avocados (which are, by the way,members of the laurel family, which also contains such culinary stars as bay leaf and cinnamon), human beings said, “Enough is enough,” and started growing the fruit themselves. Either way, that’s an awfully long time and distinguished history for something that’s ending up in the preciously named “Quinoa & friends” (another Avocaderia offering, with fashionable ingredients du jour : avocados with kale, fennel and quinoa — cooked and puffed quinoa, no less). Surely avocados deserve less trendiness.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2017