A good breakfast and an excellent snack if your morning meal was light and there's still time before lunch. But, as with any dish, the quality of the ingredients takes center stage. The best bread, perfectly ripe avocados, and the finest olive oil are key. When those are in place, the toast will turn out wonderfully. Let me share my version (frequent visitors to Goodwin or Courage Bazaar might recognize it).

How to make avocado toast

*proportions for 1 avocado

• 1 avocado Haas
• 2-3 slices of bread made from whole wheat flour on natural sourdough (in the photo, Josie Baker bread from Good Wine)
• 1 cherry tomato
• 2-4 sprigs of cilantro
• salt
• a pinch of chili flakes
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• olive oil

Cut the avocado in half and carefully remove the pit. Using a sharp knife, score each half into cubes and scoop out the diced pulp with a tablespoon. Finely chop the cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Combine them with the avocado and mash everything together thoroughly with a fork, spoon, or your hands until well mixed.

The avocado should be mashed into a mousse with small chunks of tender pulp. Season with a high-quality cold-pressed oil, salt (Himalayan salt with its characteristic sulfurous aroma or smoked salt), chili (or freshly ground black pepper if you prefer mild flavors), and a splash of lemon juice. Toast the bread in a hot, dry frying pan until crisp. Spread the avocado mousse on top.

Such a toast can be not only a quick and tasty breakfast, and sometimes a good “side dish” for dinner.

Cool additives (optional and for variety, avocado toast is good on its own):

• more greens: mint, tarragon;
• pumpkin or sunflower seeds;
• smoked paprika or smoked chili;
• sesame seeds.

How to choose an avocado

1. We have two types on sale — green and brown-skinned. With brown-skinned ones, everything is simple: they are usually of the Haas variety and come with almost no issues. Inside the dense skin, they are nearly always ripe to the perfect softness and sweetness. So, choose a Haas avocado with a dry, clean stem and no dents in the skin.
2. With green avocado varieties, it’s more complicated. They come in ball shapes, pear shapes, small or large. The larger ones are usually labeled "elite." Their thin skin makes it easy to determine ripeness.
3. The skin should be dense, free of scratches and dents, with no brown spots. When pressed with a finger, the fruit should yield slightly. Such an avocado is almost ripe. Choose a fruit that is fairly dense, but not rock-hard.
4. Avocados can ripen at home—but not in the refrigerator. Place them in a paper bag or wrap them in cloth and store in a cool, dark spot (for example, on a shelf with cereals). Avocados are also thought to ripen faster in the company of apples or bananas, as ethylene gas accelerates the process.
5. Sometimes avocados won’t ripen. They may just lie down and rot. Unfortunately, this occasional loss is inevitable, much like buying seemingly perfect fruit only to find it spoiled inside. Remember, avocados are imported from afar and are not a local product, so unpredictable outcomes can occur.
6. In summary, Haas avocados are the most reliable choice, with the fewest issues regarding ripeness and quality.