Does anyone remember that particular shade of avocado green that was everywhere in the 1970s? It was green with a touch of mustard yellow and brown. And it was so prevalent that after its popularity peaked, it looked horribly dated. Much as we love to eat avocados, as a society we learned that probably appliances shouldn’t be avocado green. Last year this article appeared: Why 1970s ‘avocado green’ is back for interiors. The article claims that “the enthusiasm for green in interiors is linked to the climate crisis and concern for the planet.” It’s a little over a year later and, even though interior décor trends move slowly, I have yet to see a lot of avocado green. Farrow & Ball, that arbiter of taste in the paint world, has a California collection which features soft, pale greens, a bit more on the blue side than the old 70s greens.
All of this is just fine with us here at Edible Santa Barbara—we prefer to eat avocados rather than wear them or decorate with them. In preparation of St. Patrick Day, everyone is dusting off their favorite recipes for corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and all things green. But when I think of green foods, I think of avocados, zucchini and spinach. Just for fun, let’s imagine an all green menu.
We’ll start off with avocados, and Edible Phoenix’s Barrio Cafe Guacamole served with tortilla chips is a classic.
Then a nice green soup course, this one for Zucchini Vichyssoise from Edible Lower Alabama looks perfect.
I love the looks of this One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Smoked Salmon for a main dish.
And for dessert it has to be something with mint and there’s always room for Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from Edible Austin.
If you are looking for a more traditional way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, here are some suggestions.
In Ireland, it’s bacon and cabbage, not corned beef and cabbage that is traditionally associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s a recipe from Irish Central for Traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage.
You’ll find American favorites such as corned beef and Irish whisky cocktails among the 26 St. Patrick’s Day Recipes from The Spruce Eats.
Or how about an old-fashioned pub crawl? The annual Santa Barbara St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl starts off on State Street at Institutional Ale. The $24 ticket gets you drink discount coupons, free welcome shot vouchers and a map of over 10 participating downtown bars.
Today happens to be National Artichoke Day, so there you are—another green ingredient to celebrate. Perhaps with il Fustino’s Artichoke Butter Toast.
And in other (completely unrelated to green) news, Foxen Winery’s historic tasting shack is open again after their Covid shut down in 2020.
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