California Avocado Toast with Quick Pickled Carrots and Radishes Recipe

Given the abundance of avocado groves found around California, it’s no surprise that avocado toast is one of our state’s most iconic dishes. In its simplest form, avocado toast is mashed avocado spread on a slice of toasted bread. Seasonings will often include just salt, pepper and lemon or lime juice. From there, you can really get creative. The rich, creamy base of grassy avocado pairs well with so many different flavors. Here, I’ve topped this avocado toast with a celebration of pickled spring produce in vibrant hues of orange and pink.

The orange and pink beauties mentioned above are springtime carrots and radishes. You can certainly get carrots and radishes year-round, but they’re at their peak during the spring months. Head to the farmer’s market now, and you’ll find a bounty of gorgeous produce ripe for pickling.

To make quick pickles, you simple boil vinegar, water, salt and sugar with some spices. As soon as the salt and sugar is dissolved, the brine is done. Pour the hot liquid over slices of radish and carrot, let cool and enjoy. It’s that easy! The pickles will develop more flavor as they sit in the fridge, but you can certainly snack on them right away.

Once the pickles are cooled, they’re ready for the toast. Here’s how things stack up:

• Crunchy slice of toasted sourdough bread
• Mashed California Avocado seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon
• Slices of pickled carrots and radishes
• Torn bits of fresh dill
• A final sprinkling of salt and pepper

This California Avocado toast is perfect for lunch or as an appetizer before dinner. You can use other seasonal veggies like sugar snap peas, asparagus, green beans and fava beans. The brine outlined below will work for all of them. Just make sure you sprinkle the dill on top. It adds another fresh layer of flavor that really works with the avocado and pickled veggies.

California Avocado Toast with Quick Pickled Carrots and Radishes Recipe

Ingredients

For the pickles:
1 1/2 lbs. mix of carrots and radishes (trim any greens, then weigh)
1 1/2 cups unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. dill seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

For the toast:
3 ripe, California Avocados, peeled, halved and pitted
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of toasted sourdough bread
Fresh dill, for sprinkling

Instructions

If carrots are big, peel tough outer skin. If they’re medium or small carrots, you can leave the skin on. Using a Y-shaped peeler, peel carrot into thin strips. Set aside in a medium bowl. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice radishes. Set aside in a small bowl.

Add vinegar, water, salt, sugar and spices to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once the mixture comes to a boil, take it off the heat and ladle it evenly over the carrots and radishes. You want the brine to cover the vegetables. Let cool completely. Once cooled, you can enjoy or cover and store in the refrigerator.

Place avocado halves in a medium bowl, and using a fork, mash to a chunky texture. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Spread mashed avocado evenly over the 4 slices of toast, then top with pickled vegetables, torn bits of fresh dill and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately!