March 2, 2003 – If months were known by color, March would surely be green. That's the color of spring on the U.S. mainland, the color of Ireland celebrated on the St. Patrick's Day holiday, and the color of many of those veggies (and even a few fruits) that come to mind when thinking about good nutrition.
As luck would have it, March is National Nutrition Month. So, here's a green recipe — for Broccoli and Avocado Salad — to start off the month.
Broccoli is a relatively recent addition to Virgin Islanders' diet, within the last century. This relative of the cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower is native to Italy. It's available fresh year 'round in supermarkets. Look for broccoli with florets that have a deep green color and are crisp. For best keeping, refrigerate fresh broccoli unwashed in an airtight bag. Broccoli is a high-nutrition veggie, packed with vitamins A and C, riboflavin, calcium, iron and disease-preventing phytonutrients.
Avocados are native to the tropics and grow on trees throughout the Caribbean. The green-skinned Fuerte avocado is found locally more often than the almost black, rough-skinned Haas, which is grown almost exclusively in California. Known for their rich, buttery texture, avocados are high in calories and fat –although this fat is in a heart-healthy mono-unsaturated form.
Enjoy broccoli and avocado in tandem in this salad. Accented with a squeeze of lemon and an oil-and-vinegar dressing spiked with garlic, these green ingredients make a delicious as well as nutritious dish.
Broccoli and Avocado Salad
1 small bunch of fresh broccoli
Salt to taste
1 large ripe avocado
1/2 of a fresh lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cut the broccoli into florets. Drop florets into enough boiling salted water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Drain; run the broccoli briefly under cold water to cool. Drain again and chill.
Cut the avocado in half. Peel each half and remove the pit. Cut each half into 8 lengthwise strips. Squeeze the lemon half over the strips to prevent discoloration.
Arrange the broccoli florets and and the avocado strips alternately on each of four serving plates.
In a bowl, blend the mustard, garlic, vinegar, pepper and oil, adding salt if desired with a wire whisk. Pour over the broccoli and avocado. Serve immediately.
Serves 4. Per serving: 162 calories, 15 gms fat (74 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 174 mg sodium.

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.