Avocado

Sometimes called alligator pears, and first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than five thousand years ago, avocados have become a cliche cafe offering mashed on toast, and we don’t need to preach to you about the merits of guacamole. What you might not know is that (peeled and sliced) avocados freeze well and can be used to thicken chocolatey smoothies and mousse-like deserts as well as to make creamy dressings. Their butteriness, so unusual for a fruit, is down to high levels of monounsaturated fats, which research suggests help lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease. 

Try growing your own avocado tree by boring kebab sticks into the pit and suspending it over a glass of water so half of it is submerged. After a few weeks it will crack open and roots will appear. You’d have to be incredibly lucky to get a harvest in this hemisphere but they make lovely houseplants! 

Spanish avocado season is usually from December until May, so keep an eye on their origin if you have strong feelings about food miles.