Bye Bye charcuterie board, hello avocado toast board! This idea literally woke me up in the middle of the night. I was so excited, and to be honest, I thought I was a genius for coming up with this concept. A quick google search burst that bubble, revealing I was not the first genius. There were others before me already cranking out these gorgeous boards.
I created my first avo board on a recent flight where extra guests were added last minute, and making the individual toasts was no longer efficient. This last minute change in my service plan gave my guests the option to build their toast exactly the way they wanted. I served the board with sour dough and multi grain toast nestled in a basket, a bowl of seasonal fruit and berries, and some yogurt and granola. This brunch menu satisfies!
What do you need to build a masterpiece? Well, definitely avocado, but after that, the possibilities are endless. Just think color, texture and flavor and maybe height. What do you have in the fridge?
*Bacon gives salt, and crunch here. Go vertical with your bacon to add some height to the tray
*Avocado roses always emit an ooh or ahh from your guests, and are not too terribly difficult. Google a video for instruction. If that seems too much, a simple slice and serve will suffice. If even THAT is too much, halve and peel and put on the board.
*Cucumber can be sliced any way you like. Here I used a mandolin slicing them lengthwise and serving accordioned (is that even a word? Whos cares, you know what I'm saying here) just for a change of pace. I like English and Persian cucumbers as the seeds are smaller.
*I love smoked salmon or Gravlax and you can never go wrong throwing this on your brunch avo board. Add some capers and pickled onions and life just gets exponentially better!
*If there is salmon, there must be eggs! Poached, scrambled (with a little crème fraiche and cream cheese), or hard boiled all work. I think poached are a little finicky so jammy boiled or scrambled are the safer bet.
*Feta adds a salty goodness. You can buy pre-crumbled or buy a block and cut into small cubes.
*Grilled asparagus is divine, and I think it goes so well with eggs and avocado. It was too cold for me to brave the outdoor grill today, so I used the panini maker as my grill.
*I need a little bite to my avocado toast, and that's where arugula and or radishes play their part. If I use arugula, I like to give it a little lemon juice massage and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Definitely use baby arugula. Watermelon radishes are show stoppers, but I couldn't find any, so my humble radish happily hopped on board (see what I did there?)
*Summer heirloom tomatoes would be stunning on the board, but it is winter here in New England, so the little tri-color sweeties filled those shoes nicely
*Lemon slices add another dimension of color, and a squeeze on your avocado keeps them from browning. It also brings out more flavor in them, as well as your tomatoes. Don't forget a hit of zest on the salmon. ( I am literally making myself hungry as I type!)
*Fresh herbs level up so many dishes. Here I would choose dill, chives, and maybe even some mint! Zaatar seasoning and chili flakes can also add some dimension.
These are just some ideas on what you can put on your avocado toast board. Figs in season would be amazing. Hot little peppers if you have a bold palate. Sweety drop peppers would give a beautiful pop of red. Olives if you want more salt, orange for some freshness and sweet acid, berries for color and filling in spaces...You are only limited by your imagination, (or wha'ts in your fridge)!
Make it your own and enjoy!!
Who's bringing the bloody marys??