So you thought there were only Strawberry or Garlic Festivals, huh?! Well - California boasts THREE avocado festivals! The first two have already happened this year... read to the end so you won't miss the LAST one!
This past weekend, the Avocado Diva hoofed it up to Morro Bay to score the BEST last summer/early fall avocados from a couple of growers up north. Avocados ripen earlier the farther south you go -- so San Diego and Riverside start us out early in Spring. Morro Bay and SLO have the late harvest -- and their avocados are worth the drive and/or searching them out at "in the know" places like Santa Monica's farmers market or Whole Foods (look for Morro Bay avocados now!) OR -- you can try them out on the Diva's website (www.AvocadoDiva.com). I grabbed several hundred while there!
I was ALSO fortunate enough to hook up with a couple of growers who had unusual varities (the kind I like to call "heritage" varieties):
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- Nabal
- Bacon
- Victor
I will be using these at a tasting (as well as Hass and Lamb) next week at the Four Season's Hotel in Westlake Village. You can join me (and others) at the "Taste of Conejo Valley" . They will have a wine tasting going on too!
The FINAL avocado festival of the year is the great big, wonderful, 3-day Carpinteria Festival. Mark your calendar for the weekend of Oct 7-8-9 and head up to the beach for the only FREE one! You can hear music, join the guacamole contest, enter the "largest avocado" competition and of course, buy HERTIAGE and Hass Avocados. Check it out here: http://www.avofest.com/ Look for the Avocado Diva -- I'll be sporting my green purse and avocado earrings... ;-)