The Bounty: Reed Avocados Set the Standard

The Bounty: Reed Avocado

Fuerte, Gwen, and Zutano; Pinkerton, Bacon and Reed…whoever said an avocado was just an avocado is clearly not from California. Here in the Golden State, ideal growing conditions of abundant sunshine, cool ocean breezes and rich soil make for some the best avocado fruits in the world. While there are some 500 varieties of avocado, just seven are grown commercially in California, from the little recognized Zutano—a pear-shaped, thin-skinned avocado that reaches its peak in early fall through winter—to the ever-popular Hass, the year-round, dark greenish-black, round fruit with a distinct, almost nutty flavor that accounts for about 95 percent of California’s total avocado crop.

I tend to favor the Fuertes from fall through spring, and come summer, I wait with bated breath for the Reed avocados, the giant, round, softball-like variety with an undeniably buttery texture and a sweet, lightly vegetal creaminess. These things are so luxuriously delicious that it’s hard to fathom that they could be good for you, too. Avocados are extremely rich sources of two, in particular, important nutrients: They are the highest fruit source of both vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that prevents cellular damage and accelerated aging by neutralizing free radicals, and of lutein, a carotenoid known to be vital for healthy vision. They are also rich in omega 6, omega 3, potassium and folate, and have quite the legacy in the hair and skin care world. 

The muffins below were something of an experiment I did while I was entertaining some company for the weekend not too long ago. I got lots of snickers and wrinkled noses while I was stirring my green batter, but it turned out that these tangy, moist muffins with just a tiny bit of pepper heat go just as well with margaritas as they do with coffee, and it wasn’t long before I was passing out the recipe. I hope you enjoy!

The Banquet: Alli’s Famous Spicy Avocado-Lime Muffins

¾  cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

zest of 2 limes (about 2 teaspoons)

juice of one and a half limes

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ sunflower oil (this can be substituted for any other kind of neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil for more coconut flavor)

2 ripe Reed avocadoes, peeled and mashed

½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Butter your muffin man and dust with flour, or line with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, combine sugar and lime zest, blending well. Remove one tablespoon of this mixture and set aside for later use as a topping. Blend the oil into the sugar mixture, then continue to blend in avocado, yogurt, eggs and lime juice, mixing well.

In a medium bowl, blend flour, baking soda, sea salt and cayenne pepper. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients—be careful not to over mix! Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way full with your batter, and sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and enjoy!