Your Purchases Help Small Farmers


 


Your purchases through the Avocado Diva helps in more ways then one:


You help the small farmers and ranchers that we source from - who often cannot sell their rare and unique avocados (the big packing houses only buy Hass - in general).
Many of these small farms rely on their own family members to pick, weed, water, and do the daily labor - the Diva buys direct from many small farms - and

Happy Holidays -- Eat Your Cake and Enjoy It Too!



Yummy Goodness - at less than 1/2 the calories of butter, cheese, mayo...

It's almost Christmas - it's already Chanukah, soon it will be New Years - so Happy Holidays everyone! Why not celebrate with some delicious, healthy, nutritious California winter avocados? Here are some AMAZING statistics on how you can indulge - and still reduce the calories!



This is from the California Avocado

Winter Avocados Make A Light Fruit Salad



Winter Fuyu Persimmons and Winter Avocados (Bacon featured here) along with
California nuts make a unique and delicious fruit salad. 



In California - we are lucky enough to even have farmer's markets in the winter. In December - we can get beautiful fruits - like winter avocados, Fuyu persimmons and all kinds of nuts. With the Diva's basket full of these delicious items - she "tisket - a -

Cute 'Cado Christmas Tree





Are you busy at this time of the year?!  Yes?!  So is the Avocado Diva! We are shipping out heritage avocados ALL over the country. Love that people are so hungry for our Moorpark (and Somis and Santa Rosa Valley) avocados. 

So while we are busy shipping -- here's a recipe from the Hass people -- seems pretty easy and fun too. 

So excuse our lack of blog posts -- and for this "cheater" blog

Avocados for Thanksgiving?!



Winter avocados and late-season Hass avocados make a great addition to your Thanksgiving table. Zutanos and small Bacon's are just ripening - and can add color, flavor, creaminess as well as loads of protien, vitamins, minerals and much needed fiber to your traditional turkey dinner. 

The Diva suggests you think about adding avocados like this:
(a) - add to your salad for extra fiber
(b) -

How to Ripen an Avocado








 



























Now that you know Winter Variety Avocados are on their way (Zutano, Bacon, Fuerte - YUM!) here is the answer to the most common question the Avocado Diva hears:

"How do I ripen my avocado?"

Ripening Tips for Avocados:

(1) you CAN refrigerate them (in the crisper is best). Don't do it for too long (no more than a week or 10 days at max). This will extend

Winter Avocados ALMOST Here...




Winter Avocado Variety: Fuerte - Delicious! 






Did you know there are "summer" avocados and "winter" avocados? They are an interesting fruit -- with over 500 varieties in California alone. There are over 1,500 kinds world wide. 

Most people only know about the "classic" summer fruit -- Hass.  (It's pronounced like it's spelled folks... my kids feel like they get a pass on a cuss word...)

Rattle Snakes - Bow Chicka Wow Wow






Photo by Plato Skouras - Happy Camp Canyon, Moorpark, CA


Check out this amazing and slightly creepy snake couple. Then watch the video link below. It was taken by my neighbor this past weekend while he was riding his bike in Happy Camp Canyon - a local trail here in Moorpark. (Less than 3 miles from the Diva's headquarters).  Happy Camp is surrounded by -- gulp -- AVOCADO ORCHARDS! 

(P.S.

Jack O 'Cados



Zombie - those are some lovely brains to eat!




Did you know the original Jack-O-Lanterns were probably made out of turnips (in Europe)? Pumpkins are a Native American squash - so when our fore-mothers had to make do in America, you know they probably just looked around and found something easier and cheaper here.  I can just hear a New England (harried) mother saying "Josiah! Don't waste my

Recap - Carpinteria Avocado Festival

Seriously - what could be better than avocados, California wine and hand-crafted treasures on the beach? Throw in a spectacular fall day - and it's seriously the California lifestyle at its very best.

Here are some photos of all that was there. Put next year's dates on your calendar NOW and make sure you visit. It was a great event for kids, parents, singles, -- any one with a pulse. ;-)

List

The Diva Needs YOUR Input - Avo Tour?!



HUGE avocado trees growing near Somis





Do you ever wish you were "the Diva"?! Wish you could do things the Diva gets to do, see, experience, and visit? 

Here's a list of things she is wondering if YOU would like to see, do, experience, visit...



Small orchards with several varieties of avocados
Beautiful farms and orchards
Farm animals 
Pick Your Own Farms
Historic Farm Houses & Ranches

Avocado Festival This Weekend!



Who wants to chow down on avocado treats at the beach?! This is the weekend to do it.

The Carpinteria Avocado Festival is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in my FAVORITE beach town! Think Santa Barbara beauty without the snob factor. ;-)

This festival is FREE! No wonder they are celebrating their 25th year of "Peace, Love and Guacamole"!

The festival is known for it's MUSIC - which is also

Chef's Treatment of Heritage Avocados



They say a picture is worth a thousand words. We'll -- here's 4,000 words from the Avocado Diva's dinner at Cafe Firenze. Chef John Paolone outdid himself using the Diva's amazing, unique, rare avocados. If you attended - leave a comment on what was your favorite dish. If you missed it - another one is going to be held at Chef Fabio Viviani (of Top Chef fame) Hollywood Restaurant on October 20,

Crazy, Wicked, 4 Course Avocado Dinner







Do you LOVE avocados?! WARNING - this post will make your mouth WATER and maybe your EYES CRY (if you live far away from Moorpark...) 

Check out this menu by the Executive Chef (John Paolone) at Fabio Viviani's (Top Chef Fan Favorite) from Cafe Firenze: 
Avocado and tuna crudo, balsamic miso, butter poached asparagus cracked pepper and EVO
- Paired with Mexicola Heritage avocado

 Avocado