The Avocado
There are some fruits that are used so often in flavorful dishes that we tend to think of them as vegetables. Tomatoes seem to be the most popular one  however, the avocado, bell peppers and chiles are also in the category of fruits. Mexico seems to have more than its fair share of these fruit vegetables, including the tomatillo (often referred to as the Mexican green tomato). It is believed that the Aztecs introduced the avocado seedlings to Mexico during the 13th & 14th centuries, calling it "ahuacatl". There are several varieties of avocado. Most are the pear-shaped and contain a central pit. The indigenous Mexican avocado has fragrant green flesh around a large pit. The Hass avocado has creamy flesh and a very good flavor. The is also one more type called the fuerte avocado, which has glossy green skin and yellow-green flesh.

Avocados are used extensively in Mexican cooking, most notable dish "guacamole", the mashed avocado. They are also used in soups - both hot & cold - or to make a hot sauce for meat. Fresh avocado tastes wonderful in salads and with seafood. It is often used in tortilla dishes; it is a favorite ingredient in "tortas" - Mexican sandwiches.

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RECIPES

Avocado- Tomatillo (green tomato) Dressing
2 avocados
8 oz. Ranch Dip
3 boiled tomatillos (green tomatoes) peel off skin
½ cup cilantro
1 tbsp. extra virgin oil
2 garlic cloves
2 cups tomatillo broth (from above boil)
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. dill
Place all ingredients in blender. Add salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate in airtight container until used.

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Spicy Apple Rice
1 cup broth (chicken or beef)
1 ¼ cup Instant Rice
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup Rose’s Pantry Hot Apple Relish

Bring broth & salt to boil, add rice & chutney. Cover and rtn to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 mts.
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DID YOU KNOW.....
* Always add 1/3 cup water to a guacamole dip to hold the green color.
* The State of Texas named the prickly pear cactus as the state fruit/vegetable in 1995.
* The gooey juice of the prickly pear cactus is used as a very soothing skin lotion for minor rashes, sunburn and windburn.
* That "y’all" is singular and "all y’all" is plural.
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