Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Alligator Pears

I'm pretty sure I always forget that the fruit of the avocado is also known as the alligator pear. Oh, Wikipedia, thank you for reminding me of that on this Fat Tuesday, and for the public domain or Wikimedia Commons images! (Branch by B. Navez)

Tonight, two small ripe alligator pears will be part of dinner, seasoned very lightly with olive oil and/or lemon juice and salt & pepper. Thank you, Jessa, for your vegetarian handful recipes in Bowl of Bees. I got more green beans today and remembered dried cranberries for sprinkling here and there.

It's also a Fat Tuesday for writing jobs, as a new one arrived on my doorstep this morning! And its bearer was given a cup of tea.

Out on the lawn, blackbirds are finding what they need. I'm ready to sow more seeds, not intended for blackbirds, including more of what I harvested last year and, new this year, the pink Venus poppy, with "double frilly blooms," but it's in the 40s out there now, and a frost is predicted for tonight, so I will wait a bit.

I have attempted to grow an avocado from the pit, as pictured here, but to no avail.

But maybe I will try again!

If at first you don't pit seed, try, try again.

This is why I am not a stand-up comic.

11 comments:

Grace Curtis said...

Kathleen, I have grown many plants from avacados in the past but not in a while. I think it just takes a long time for the seed to get rooted. Once they do, they have lovely green leaves that last a long time. :)

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Grace. I probably will try again. I do think I waited the 4-6 weeks...!

Jessa said...

I had no idea they were called "alligator pears," but I like that very much. Be careful with the dried cranberries or you'll get like me and start putting them on everything!

Kathleen said...

Jessa! I think you are right about the cranberries. This morning's breakfast was cranberries, "infused with cherry juice." (I thought I was buying dried cherries and dried cranberries. Note to self: Read label.) I have, of course, been sprinkling lightly-salted (sea salt) almonds on everything already.

Lorel said...

Here's a rewrite that is sure to get you top billing at Zanies:

If at first you don't pit seed, PRY, PRY again.

(Be sure to make your voice really loud on the words that are in all caps. You'll be surprised at the large amount of laughing you'll receive.)

Kathleen said...

YES, EXACTLY!!

Peg Kirk said...

If at last your pit doth sprout,
Have a party! (Count me out.)

Sandy Longhorn said...

I love that image of the sputnik pits. Takes me back to those science class experiments in grade school.

So happy about the new job opportunity!

Kathleen said...

Mom, eeewww!

Sandy, I had not even realized the Sputnik connection, but now I am delighted!

All, it is not a fulltime job, just another freelance gig. But I am glad of it!

Collagemama said...

Sputnik pits! Love it. Can't tell you how many avocado pits I've speared with toothpicks and hung over glasses of water in the last, ahem, several decades. Hope blasts off eternal. 10-9-8-7....Congrats on new job opportunity.

Kathleen said...

I found good instructions this time on the internet, have two pits speared in jelly glasses on the windowsill, and even got a poem about it! Wooee!