Tomato and Avocado Appetizer "Salad"

 Tomato and Avocado Appetizer "Salad"

Avocadoes make an easy and delicious appetizer course. As simple a dish as a halved avocado with  a simple salad dressing or just balsamic vinegar and salt starts a dinner well. But combined with fresh, sweet tomatoes and a fancier dressing. avocado can be quite elegant, yet very simple to prepare.

Here's an appetizer "salad" of avocado and tomato topped lightly with my favorite Rose Sauce and a bit of chive or shredded green onion top. I wrote a blog post just on the sauce, but here I'm applying it to enhance these delightful vegetables (which are technically both "fruits"). Since fresh local farm-raised tomatoes aren't readily available right now, I'm using the Campari tomatoes that are available at supermarkets year round, which are reliably sweet and beautifully dark red. They are specially developed hybrids (not GMO) for hydroponic and greenhouse production. I believe this same type of tomatoes are also marketed as "Cocktail" tomatoes, and come on the stems.

The recipe serves six, and should be made and served on individual appetizer plates.

3 ripe avocadoes

6 medium-small ripe tomatoes, preferably "Campari" or "Cocktail"

Finely cut chives or green onion top for garnish

Rose sauce

3 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

A large pinch of salt

Mix the sauce ingredients together well.

Cut avocadoes in half and remove the pits. Peel the avocado halves and cut each half into pieces on a separate appetizer plate. Cut a tomato into either four or six wedges, depending on size, and place them attractively among the avocado pieces on
a plate. Spoon about a tablespoon of rose sauce over the vegetable pieces on each plate. Sprinkle a small amount of cut chive or green onion top over the dressed plate, allowing a few to fall onto the plate outside the vegetables and sauce.

Serve as the appetizer course for your dinner.