Football Fans to Consume 49.5 Million Pounds of Hass Avocados on Big Game Day

Championship Game to be Celebrated with More than Just Guacamole

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) today
announced it anticipates that football fans across the country will devour
49.5 million pounds of Hass avocados during the Big Game on February 3.
That's enough to cover Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium football field,
end zone to end zone, 19.1 feet deep in Hass avocados. Big Game Day is
projected to be one of the largest Hass avocado consumption days of 2008, with
an estimated 99 million Hass avocados set be eaten by consumers.
Hass avocados are a fan favorite and a "must-have" ingredient for any Big
Game Day party menu. From the classic guacamole dip, to topping off burgers,
chili and nachos, avocados add a creamy and delicious flavor to a variety of
Big Game Day foods.
"Football fans continue to include Hass avocados in their Big Game Day
dishes every year. Snacks made with avocados have almost become synonymous
with watching the Big Game," said Jose Luis Obregon, managing director for
HAB. "During the Big Game Day time frame consumers always create an
especially high demand for the fruit. Right now, growers and producers are
working hard to harvest their fruit, so that consumers can tackle their game
day hunger with Hass avocados."
The Hass Avocado Board continues to challenge consumers to go "beyond
guacamole" for this year's Big Game Day party. A number of delicious Big Game
Day recipes that will help you score big with your gridiron guests can be
found on the Hass Avocado Board's Web site at http://www.avocadocentral.com.
For a tasty twist on guacamole, fans can try serving "Super Hass Avocado
Parmesan Potato Bowls." These bite-size morsels are sure to help stave off
the hunger of even the biggest football fans.

Super Hass Avocado Parmesan Potato Bowls
(http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080107/LAM080-a)
Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 40 minutes; Total time: 1 hour
10 minutes
Ingredients
-- 4 bacon slices
-- 1 lb. very small red potatoes (about 1 1/2-inches in diameter)
-- 2 Tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
-- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-- Salt and pepper, to taste
-- 2 ripe, fresh Hass avocados, halved, seeded and scooped out
-- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
-- 2 tsp. coarse ground garlic salt
-- 2 tsp. red pepper sauce

Instructions
1. Cook bacon until crisp, crumble and set aside.
2. Place potatoes in large saucepan, adding enough water to just cover
potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes, until
just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from heat, drain water and allow
potatoes to cool.
3. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato meat leaving a
1/4-inch layer around all the edges and bottom. Brush each potato bowl with
oil. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place on
baking pan and cook in oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until
lightly browned.
4. In a small bowl, coarsely mash avocados and combine with lemon juice,
garlic salt and red pepper sauce.
5. To serve: Place about 1 tablespoon of the avocado mixture into each
potato bowl. Top with additional bacon if desired.
For those fans that want to include a simple guacamole in their Big Game
Day food line up, "Classic Guacamole" is a quick and delicious dish that is
perfect to snack on while watching the championship game.

Recipe: Classic Guacamole
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080107/LAM080-b)
Serves: 8
Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: none; Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
-- 4 ripe, fresh Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
-- 2 lemons, juiced
-- 2 tsp. minced garlic
-- 1 tomato, diced
-- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
-- 1/4 cup diced red onion
-- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
-- 5 Jalapeno chiles or Serrano chiles, minced; 3 of the chiles seeded
-- Salt and chile powder, to taste

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, coarsely mash avocados and combine with lemon juice.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the avocado mixture, stirring until
combined.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve with tortilla chips.
*Large avocados are recommended for these recipes. A large avocado
averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the
quantity accordingly.
About HAB
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) was established in 2002 after approval by
producers and importers of Hass avocados in a national referendum. A
12-member Board administers the program. Over 20,000 producers and 100
importers are involved in the HAB, which covers fresh domestic and imported
Hass avocados sold in the U.S. market.

CONTACT: Megan Abbott
GolinHarris
213-438-8715
mabbott@golinharris.com

SOURCE The Hass Avocado Board

Megan Abbott of GolinHarris, +1-213-438-8715, mabbott@golinharris.com, for The
Hass Avocado Board