We were thrilled to get 3 inches of rain earlier this month, and equally thrilled to be able to take a week off from irrigating the avocado groves to do some local touring with friends who were visiting us from Vermont. Today I’m sharing some of our Fuerte avocado deliciousness and some fun places to visit when you’re in the San Diego area.
As much as we love our winter rains, it’s great to have some sunshine on our toast for breakfast! With Fuerte avocado season in full swing, we’ve been enjoying creamy avocado slices every morning with our eggs and on toast. Fuerte avocados are known for their characteristic full nutty flavor. Come to think of it, I think they are my all time favorites!
How to Enjoy Fuerte Avocados on Toast
It’s important to remember not to wait until the Fuerte avocado gets too soft. It should just barely ‘give’ when gently pressed in the palm of your hand. Cut the avocado all the way around, twist to separate the halves, and gently pull the peel away from the fruit. Then slice or use a larger piece to make cut-outs with small cookie cutters. Mash up any left-over pieces and spread on toast.
Fresh sliced Fuertes on sour dough toast with some seasoning sprinkled on top is a fine breakfast!
Or cut out a soft green heart to put on top of those sliced avocados!
Mash the left-over pieces of avocado and add a heart on top with some salt and pepper for your Valentine!
Fun Day Trips Around San Diego
After those heavy rains here in San Diego, we had some beautiful high surf at the beaches! We visited Sunset Cliffs and Juan Cabrillo National Park to watch the waves with our friends Leslie and Leo who were visiting from Vermont. We had been looking forward to their return ever since they visited for the first time two years ago. This time we had a whole week of activities planned!
Since Leslie is a master gardener, we visited Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens and Nursery in Fallbrook, the Avocado Capital of the World, where the Inland Empire Food Bloggers had such a great time last spring.
While our husbands stayed on the ranch to talk about farming, Leslie and I drove over to Del Mar for lunch at one of my favorite places, Jake’s Del Mar. Their winter signature cocktail is a Persimmon Rye- Car, a variation on the Sidecar, with Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Cointreau, fresh persimmon puree and fresh lemon. Perfect for a chilly winter day at the beach, sip this tasty toddy and you’ll warm right up! Then cool off again with their famous Mud Pie with macadamia nut ice cream for dessert!
We enjoyed our Fuerte avocados in the evening as appetizers paired with Ducktrap smoked salmon and crackers! This is the best smoked salmon any of us have ever eaten, and I must say a big THANK YOU to our cousins from Memphis for sending us such a lovely gift!
Another day trip included breakfast on the San Clemente Pier at The Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar , and plenty of time to watch the surf from the pier.
We drove by Mission San Juan Capistrano, followed by a gorgeous drive east through the hills on the Ortega Highway to Lake Elsinore. We still had time for some wine tasting in Temecula at Ponte Winery where we tasted 6 wines and discovered their amazing Port. We drove back toward home on the De Portola Wine Trail, stopping at Cougar Vineyard and Winery where there is live music on Sunday afternoons, a wonderful deli, and a new barrel room with huge projection TV — a great place to watch a football game!
There is “no place like home”, especially when we can make special memories with friends from Vermont! They’re back in the cold country now, looking forward to skiing in the beautiful Vermont snow. We’ll be here enjoying our avocados on toast — with a little white fig spread and bacon — and looking forward to more rain!
Fuerte season will be over soon, and we’ll have to wait another whole year to enjoy this flavorful California avocado variety. Have you ever eaten Fuerte avocados? People who know Fuerte avocados usually have stories to tell about a special tree in their grandmother’s back yard, or family memories of recipes they enjoyed with these original California avocados. If you’d like to try some, California Avocados Direct will ship a box to you or as a gift anywhere in the USA.