This is that long-awaited week when you feel the change in rhythm.
LSU and Southern University are out. Kids are finished with school. Pools are open. And Memorial Day weekend—the gateway to summer—is days away. Yes, we’ll eventually whine about the stifling heat, and parents will crave the predictability of the school year, but for now, summer is a welcome blast of shiny new fun.
As for food, I see lots of backyard picnics and group gatherings in your future—events where you need a standout dish that speaks to seasonality and flavor. One of my go-to favorites is a crab and avocado salad, especially when I can find sweet, succulent jumbo lump crabmeat from the Gulf. Last weekend, I made this salad for a friend’s birthday gathering, and it was the perfect accompaniment to the grilled shrimp kabobs and steaks we also prepared.
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Plate the crab and avocado mixture on a big bed of fresh greens with cherry tomatoes or other cut vegetables, and you’ve got a decadent salad course that will go with nearly everything.
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Crab and Avocado Salad
1 16-ounce container jumbo lump crabmeat
2 stalks celery with leafy tops (finely diced)
4 ripe Hass avocados (sliced lengthwise, pits removed, diced)
¼ cup chopped scallion (green and white parts)
⅓ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs (such as a combination of chives, basil, tarragon and parsley)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Several turns cracked black pepper
2 cups fresh salad greens
1 cup whole cherry tomatoes
Herbs and lemon wedges for garnish
Gently inspect the crabmeat, discard any shell fragments, and place the crabmeat in a large bowl. Add the celery, avocado and scallion. In a separate medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, citrus juices, herbs, salt and pepper, and whisk until blended. Pour it over the crab mixture and fold gently, taking care to combine but not break up the crab and avocado. Arrange the greens on a platter and mound the crab salad in the center. Spread the cherry tomatoes out around the salad. Garnish with lemon wedges and top with the fresh herbs.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Follow her on Instagram @hungryforlouisiana.