The So Cal Millennial Experience

Hass avocados (guacamole recipe is on pg. XX) are one of the perks of living in Southern California. They have a velvety, nutty, and buttery delicious flavor and they spread perfectly on a slice of toast. 

Marcella, a friend I met when I was working as a lifeguard at Cutter Pool in 1973, generously shares avocados from her trees. Placed onto my kitchen counter, they ripen, waiting to be made into an easy, nutritious breakfast. 

To be honest, I didn’t fully understand the appeal of ‘avo toast’ until Annie and Javi took me to Gloria’s, a trendy LA restaurant in Highland Park. Upon their recommendation, I ordered the Cadillac of avocado toast. On top of the thick sourdough bread was a generous spread of avocado with roasted kernels of corn, tomatoes, pickled radishes, and a fried egg! 

Linda Erskine, a friend who lives in Napa, California, finds the avocado toast trend baffling. Greg, Annie’s brother, says that it is ‘sooooo Millennial.’  Annie, a confirmed millennial, adamantly says, “You people are all haters and do not deserve the avocado toast or its health benefits.” 

I say that this foodie trend has resulted in a simple yet delicious breakfast treat!

Ingredients

• 2 Lg. Ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and scooped out
• 3 Slices of sourdough bread
• 2 T Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle over at the end
• ½ t Salt and pepper for serving
• 1 Lemon zest and juice
• ½ t Rooster chili sauce (I use Sriracha with the rooster on the label) 
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Thinly sliced radishes (optional)
• Roasted corn (optional)
• Arugula (optional)
• Diced tomatoes (optional)
• Alpha sprouts
• Fried egg (optional)

Directions

• Use a thin slice of handmade sourdough bread. (Find a local bakery and support them.) Toast the bread until it is golden brown and firm.
• Smash up the avocado just like you are going to make guacamole. Add the chile sauce, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. 
• Spread ¼ of the avocado mixture onto the toast -. Make sure you don’t leave a speck of bread bare.
• Then get your millennial on and fancy it up. The order I like to go in is: A few leaves of arugula with alpha sprouts on top. Add in sliced cherry tomatoes and pickled radishes. Then add the roasted corn. Drizzle with a little olive oil. 
• If you are going full out add the fried egg.
•  Or serve it naked, just remember a drizzle of olive oil over the avocado, salt, red pepper flakes, or some black pepper.