Mushy Hass, smoky bacon

My niece from Massachusetts says that Californians take their avocados too seriously. But if you eat them as more than just guacamole, avocado advocacy is serious business.

I recently found three different varieties of local avocados at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op: the ubiquitous Hass, the bacon, and the Fuerte (“strong” in Spanish). Being a connoisseur of BLT&As (BLTs with avocado), I couldn’t pass up the bacon variety. It has a smooth green skin and is more tear-shaped than the Hass. It’s a Mexican variety, like the Fuerte, which are generally harder to find. I’ve been annoyed lately at the mushy Hass avocados I’ve been getting, but the Fuerte and bacon are smooth and creamy. The bacon doesn’t really taste like pork, but it does have a slight smokiness that’s nice.

These fall-to-spring varieties are great now, so look at the farmers markets for more than just the Hass. Try them sliced on toast with just a sprinkling of salt, or in a winter green salad with red onion and oranges.