An avocado avalanche? It’s a thing dreams are made of – well, to avocado-lovers like myself. If you, too, love avocados (and who doesn’t?), now is the time to buy them. If you can, buy unripe avocados and ripen them yourself in a fruit bowl. Rock-hard avocados may take 5-7 days to ripen, but medium-hard ones will likely ripen in 2-3 days.  If you need to speed up the ripening of an avocado, fruits that give off ethylene gas, such as apples and bananas, stored with an avocado in a brown paper bag, will do the job. The apple does it a little more effectively than a banana.
As soon as they give slightly when cradled in the hand and gently pressed, they are ready. Refrigerate until ready to use. Buying them before anyone has started squeezing them in the shops means you are less likely to end up with bruised avocados.

Once you’ve had your fill of smashed avocado on toast, start experimenting. I was reading through a column I wrote for a magazine some years ago, and I thought, yum, yep, I want to eat all of these again. They are all worth trying.

Avocado ideas

Avocado lovers often choose Haas as their favourite. A perfect specimen has pale green, creamy flesh ringed with darker green around the skin line, and creamy flesh that holds together well for slicing, with a rich, nutty taste.

Salty zing

Add a salty zing by first spreading the toast with Vegemite. Top with a mound of avocado and add a squeeze of lime. It’s seriously tasty. Include chopped tomatoes, parsley or coriander as optional extras. 

Best brunch
If you are looking for a breakfast or brunch dish to set you up for the day, spread toasted grainy bread with avocado, half squashing it so it sticks to the toast. Top with scrambled eggs enriched with grated vintage cheddar cheese and drizzle with sriracha sauce. 

Slow-roasted

Tomatoes are coming down in price again (phew). Slow-roast a batch of tomatoes and make a salad with cooked dried white navy beans, or canned beans (drained, rinsed and drained), roasted red pepper and slow-roasted tomatoes tossed with a lemony vinaigrette. Add masses of chunky-cut avocado and basil leaves. Serve with crusty bread for lunch, or as a salad to go with barbecue meats or sliced ham off the bone.

Char-grill chillies
Roast a whole fish, or barbecue fillets, and top with sliced avocado, lime wedges and slivered makrut lime leaves. You can finish this with roasted hot red chillies if you like. Thread the chillies onto a long metal skewer or place several on a metal fish grill. Char them over the flames of a barbecue or gas grill until the skins blacken. Transfer to a plate and cover with paper towels. Peel off blackened skin when cool. If the chillies are piercingly hot, simply add more avocado!

Avocados galore!

Corn fritters

Make a batch of thin fritters with flaked smoked fish, spring onion, cooked corn kernels or thinly sliced or diced potatoes if you like, and plenty of egg to make it quite liquid. Fry in sizzling butter and interleave with sliced avocado. Serve with lemon, or a caper vinaigrette. 

Avocado crema

Whip avocado into a smooth sauce with sour cream and finely chopped mint, sharpen with lemon and serve spooned over chicken and bacon burgers in place of mayo, or with pan-fried fish fillets or hot smoked salmon. 

Tumble salad

Tumble chunks of grilled or barbecued chicken thigh, cooked turkey, or duck into a bowl with plenty of cubed mango, avocado, and salad leaves. Whisk 3 tablespoons of avocado oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a little chopped tarragon and 3 tablespoons of lightly whipped cream. Spoon over the salad and serve. 

Salsa

Make a salsa with chopped tomatillos or tomatoes, chopped red onion, masses of chopped coriander, chopped chilli to taste, diced avocado and plenty of lime juice. Good with anything! Up the flavour and add toasted or blackened chillies and garlic. 

Dunk and squish

Halve, stone and peel avocados, keeping them whole. Fill with guacamole, or salsa, or room-temperature ratatouille. Dunk and squish!

Corn ‘n tarragon

Once sweet corn hits the shelves, the combo of corn and avo is dynamite. Slice lightly cooked sweet corn off the cob and dress it with a tarragon-flavoured vinaigrette (use a little fresh chopped tarragon or tarragon vinegar) to which you add half a small puréed avocado. Top the lot with sliced avocado. You can finish this with roasted hot red chillies if you like as described above. If the chillies are piercingly hot, simply add more avocado!