Avocado Toast Bar: Holiday Brunch Made Easy

My extended family has varied food profiles - omnivores, pescatarians, baconterians, and vegetarians. One thing that unites us besides oats is avocados. What has become crazy expensive at cafes is a breeze to assemble - an Avocado Toast Bar. Get your family and friends in the action. Have them over for a Holiday Brunch and try it out. It’s interactive and fun for everyone to create their version - chez nous.

Here is how to make your own Avocado Toast Bar

Grab a loaf of bread from your favorite bread baker. I chose a quarter of a Blonde Boule from Ken's Artisan Bread for nine people. We also had some Japanese white bread from Oyatsupan Bakery. If the bakery has a slicer, get it sliced. It saves you a step and keeps all the slices the same thickness for toasting consistency.

I recommend putting together the Toppings first and making the Avocado Mash less than an hour before your guests arrive. The Toppings can be tailored to your taste and what’s available near you. Arrange them in attractive pottery or china bowls. Add a pine garland with ribbon twirled around it and some candles interspersed for a more festive ambiance.

Surprisingly, I found most of the below ingredients at Trader Joe’s the day before the gathering and already had the condiments on hand.

Avocado Toast Bar

Rinse and/or Slice the Toppings

• thinly sliced Persian cucumbers

• pickled onions can be made up to a week ahead of time or two hours before

• sprouts or arugula

• thinly sliced radishes

• halved cherry tomatoes

• pomegranate seeds (cut the pomegranate in half, beat the outside with a wooden spoon to release the seeds, and squeeze the juice over them in a medium bowl.

• smoked salmon slices

Assemble a Condiment Platter

• toasted sesame seeds

• sea salt

• pepper grinder

• paprika

• lemon slices

• fresh parsley leaves

• your best extra virgin olive oil

Make the Avocado Mash

In a medium to large serving bowl, mash half an avocado per person plus one for good luck. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon for every avocado and sea salt to taste (I prefer Maldon). Clean the top of the inside of the bowl so it doesn’t look messy. Save some avocado pits and put them back inside the mash. It will stay a vibrant green much longer.

Place the sliced bread, toppings, condiments, and avocado mash on the counter near a toaster or countertop oven, along with plates, linen napkins, and flatware.

Mimosa Bar

A Make-Your-Own Mimosa Bar greeted my family with orange juice, grapefruit juice, and a small pitcher with the reserved pomegranate juice from the seed bowl included in the Toppings. Two Prosecco bottles were popped - an alcoholic one and a de-alcoholized bottle with two types of stemware differentiating the alcoholic version from the non-alcohol version.

When our guests were ready to eat, I started the procession, requesting which bread they wanted. After toasting the slices in our countertop oven, I placed each toast on a plate for them to proceed down the bar line, creating their ideal Avocado Toast.

Happy Toasting!