King Salad Avocados

It didn't take me long to ferret out a really nice die-cut advertising cookbook from one of the many vendors at Warrenton.

The Care and Serving of King Salad Avocados (undated, 20 pp.) measures approximately 4-1/2 x 7-1/2 inches in size.

The booklet doesn't have a copyright date but information inside makes reference to the fact that the King Salad Avocado Company had been in business for over over twenty years. One of the King Salad trademarks was applied for in 1938, so I think that this booklet was published sometime in the late 1950s. Another source indicates that the company was founded sometime during the mid-1930s which also helps the booklet fit this timeline.

I'm impressed by the amount of information about the avocado, sometimes known as the "alligator pear," and its uses that's provided within this simple booklet. Some might have found the presentation of the information found inside rather boring in appearance had it not been for the die-cut shape and the lovely color illustration of the King Salad Avocado inside the front cover. The pages inside the booklet are colored the paler green of avocado meat with the faint image of the Crown decal in the background.

There are two other pages of illustrations inside. One is a hand-drawn diagram that shows how to cut and peel the avocado in preparation for serving. Another diagram shows how to cut several "interesting and decorative shapes" from the fresh avocados.

The copy mentions several times that only a choice six varieties out of the hundreds available were selected to be sold under the King Salad brand name. The names of the six varieties were never mentioned, however. The King Salad brand could be recognized by their quality "Cello-Wrap" or as marked by the King Salad Crown decal.
The recipe booklet tells of the benefits of serving King Salad avocados, how to select and store them, and provides a nutritional analysis. There are recipes and suggestions for Hors d' Oeuvres and Canapes, Cocktails and Fruit Cups, Soup, Salad Plates (including Guacamole), Entrees, and yes, even Desserts. Dessert recipe offerings include Parfait Royal, Regal Ice Cream, Crown Ice Cream, and a King Salad Dutch Boy.

They borrowed an excerpt from an article by Dr. J. H. Kellogg of the Miami-Battle Creek Sanitarium to extol the dietetic values of the avocado. Information from Proudfit and Robinson Nutrition and Diet Therapy is used as a reference to tell of the uses of vitamins in the human system.

There's instruction on how to grow your own avocado houseplant from your leftover avocado pit. You could request that recipe booklets be sent to your friends by writing the company.

Some information about the King Salad Avocado Co. was found on the next-to-last page. Everett Johnson was the Owner-Manager. The Home Offices and Packing Plant were located in Vista, California, with a Warehouse in Fallbrook and a Receiving Station in La Mesa. Branch offices were located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oklahoma City, Chicago and New York City, with representatives in all principal cities throughout the nation.

KING SALAD DUTCH BOY

1 cup canned whole figs with juice
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-1/2 cup finely mashed avocado
1 pint sour cream
1 banana
1/2 cup honey

Mix mint extract with avocado paste slowly with tablespoon then add honey and mix thoroughly. Place in sherbet glasses to about 1/3 full. Set glasses in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled. Remove when ready to serve, place on whole fig with juice in each and fill with cold sour cream, place cold banana slices on top and serve. This is an extoic dessert which tantalizes the taste with the honey-sweet offsetting the tart sour cream.