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Monday, January 4, 2010

Avocado + Pear = Yes

This random salad ended up being so good that I made it two days in a row. Avocado and pear with lemon and fresh mint make for a really refreshing mix of mild flavors and textures that isn't very sweet. It seems that whatever type of pear you use, it must be quite crunchy, and the avocado can't be too soft, either (but it should be ripe enough to be edible); otherwise, you will have a bowl of light green mush (like guacamole from outer space).

As you might imagine, this salad doesn't keep very well. The lemon will keep it from browning for at least a few hours, but don't press your luck.

Avocado-Pear Salad

Ingredients
1 large, crunchy pear (I think I used something like a gong pear), 1/2-in diced
2 avocados, not too ripe (refrigerate before cutting), 1/2-in diced
about 12 mint leaves, chiffonade-cut (i.e., rolled up and cut into thin strips)
lemon juice to taste (about 1/2 of a lemon)

Instructions
Toss pear, avocado, and mint together in serving bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over the salad and give one more little mix. Serves 4.
at

3 comments:

  1. myer noreJanuary 9, 2010 at 9:49 PM

    Julia - Interesting! Where did you get the idea for the mint? There's a salad a little reminiscent of this in World Vegetarian by Deborah Madison, 'Avocado, Jicama, and Orange Salad, with Lime Cumin Vinaigrette.' In that salad, the Jicama is about the same texture as the Asian Pear, and the citrus and spice kind of make up for the mint.

    It has jicama, avocado, orange, radish, spinach, and sunflower sprouts, and the Lime Cumin Vinaigrette has garlic, lime zest, lime or lemon juice, chopped scallion, cumin seeds, jalapeno, coriander seeds, dry mustard, olive oil, and chopped cilantro (except when Arhia's at the table).

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  2. JuliaJanuary 10, 2010 at 3:56 PM

    Hey Myer, that sounds really great. I think I will try to make a dressing like that. I used mint because I just bought a mint plant and it had so many leaves that it couldn't stand up on its own. :)

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  3. myer noreJanuary 15, 2010 at 11:13 AM

    So you needed to use the mint. In cooking, necessity really is the mother of invention (haha)

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