"avocados" news and stories

Avocados are at their peak right now, so take this opportunity to use them in a variety of salads, sandwiches and even baked goods.

Now that cookout season has kicked off, my healthy makeovers of traditional summer classics -- like creamy guacamole dip -- are in high demand.

It's true that avocados are high in fat, prompting people to call it the "butter pear." While a medium-sized avocado contains about 30 grams of fat, most of it is mono-unsaturated fat that actually helps to lower cholesterol levels. Diet experts have long steered consumers away from avocados, though the U.S. government revised its official nutrition guidelines a few years ago to encourage Americans to eat more of them.

Some people say it's impossible to mess up a guacamole recipe, but I beg to differ. In my book, there's no place for garlic. Yes, you heard right. Plum tomatoes are a must, with the seeds removed to keep from watering down the dip's velvety texture. I also think lime juice and cilantro are central to kicking up the flavor a notch, adding a nice contrast to the creamy texture of the avocados. I top the whole thing off with a pinch of heat from cayenne or other hot, ground dried chilies.

Get Jennifer's guacamole tips and Creamy Guacamole Dip recipe after the jump.

How to keep those avocado halves green once they've been split open for your awesome guacamole?

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An avocado scandal erupted in California. While avocado farmers are experiencing one of their worst years in avocado production, their advocates are celebrating, so it seems. Last week, Marisa McClellan wrote a post that foresees the scarcity of avocados in the coming year. Following the sad news, the New York Times printed an article revealing the decadent lifestyle of the California Avocado Commission "as a kind of free-spending, avocado-gone-wild farm party."

The California Department of Food and Agriculture just released a report explaining that commission employee benefits included: season tickets for the Los Angeles Angels and hockey's Mighty Ducks, paid gym memberships, stipends for vitamins, and even workout clothes. To think that I thought health insurance was an important benefit...As one would imagine avocado farmers are outraged. Rick Shade, an unpaid chairman of the board and third-generation avocado farmer, states that they uncovered about $300,000 in dubious expenses - $39,000 spent by commission employees at upscale clothing stores, like Ann Taylor and Nordstrom.

With such outrageous spending, how could it have taken this long for avocado farmers to take notice? Shade explains that they turned a blind-eye since most farmers were making more and more money from the commission's succuss at popularizing the fruit.