Behold the wonder that is the Hass avocado. This little gem of a food is one of my favorite reminders of home. Green. Velvety. Delicious. Hass avocados aren’t actually native to California, which is hard to imagine, or remember, since about 95% of our domestic avocado production comes from California. And 60% of that 95% comes from within San Diego county. (Fun food fact!) This is just one more reminder that we Californians are downright spoiled.

 

My love for the avocado is as deep and wide as the list of its uses. Avocados go with everything. Avocados improve everything. Sushi. Tacos. Eggs. Ice cream. If you’re from California, chances are you’re nodding your head vigorously right now. I know. We love these things.

 

 

So, during this long long week of mine this little avocado provided just the right amount of warmth and comfort and reminder of home. You see, last night I had an overwhelming paper due. The paper itself wasn’t all that long. Only 10-12 pages required, said my professor. But it was overwhelming. It was the first of its kind that I’ve written–a literature review–which meant that much of my time and energy was spent simply trying to figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing and writing. I use the word “simply” very loosely here. I continue to find my greatest challenge in grad school to be organizing my thoughts and my time. Getting my head wrapped around what I need to be working on and when. It can be exhausting. I’m thankful for the comic relief of New Girl.

 

While I’m happy to report that the paper was completed and may have actually turned out okay, I’m quite sure that all of my writing brilliance was left on the pages I handed over to my professor last night. The words are coming to me pretty slowly this morning, folks. So I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Just like my meals have been this week, thanks to the need to Just. Keep. Writing.

 

 

Yesterday’s bit of culinary respite occurred at lunchtime, when the lovely avocado pictured above found its way onto this here salad. I confess, I easily tire of salads. And since they’re often the easiest way for me to get a pile of vegetables onto my plate I’m constantly trying to figure out new ways to make salads interesting to my taste buds. This salad journey led to the discovery of what I like to call “salsa salad.”

 

 

The magic ingredient is found in this adorable little bowl. (I am such a sucker for kitchen accoutrements. And words like accoutrements.) I combine nearly equal amounts of fresh salsa and Greek yogurt, with a very healthy dash of garlic salt. And by healthy I mean abundant. Obviously. In all its yummy tangy-ness this “dressing” has proven to be a winner in my book of salads that I actually crave. So grab whatever veggies are in your fridge, throw them gracefully over a pile of lettuce along with some protein-filled beans of your choosing, and pour on the dressing. Food doesn’t always have to be complicated.