Specialty of the House: Humble Pie’s Avocado and Peas on Toast
Editor’s note: Andrea Weigl seeks recipes from Triangle restaurants requested by readers.
My husband and I really enjoyed our meal last weekend at Humble Pie. One of our favorite tapas was the avocado and pea purée with horseradish. I think it would make a great appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner.
Elaine Hubal
Raleigh
Humble Pie’s owner Joe Farmer gladly shared the recipe for this popular dish that has been on the Raleigh restaurant’s menu for almost two years.
Humble Pie is a stalwart of the downtown Raleigh dining scene, having opened in 1990 in what has become known as the warehouse district. Farmer co-owns the business with general manager Jim Beriau; both men were part of a team that took over the restaurant in 2003.
Chef Josh Young first made the dish at the restaurant’s annual employee summer retreat at Sunset Beach, Farmer explained. Each night, a staff member or friends cook supper for the crew. Young made a version of this dish with ricotta and peas to start the meal he made, Farmer said.
When the staff got back to work, Young added it to the menu, replacing the ricotta with avocados.
The lemon juice in the recipe helps prevent some browning, but you want to make this shortly before serving to preserve that bright green color.
Specialty of the House gets recipes for local restaurant dishes. Send requests, including the city where you live, to Specialty of the House, The N&O, P.O. Box 191, Raleigh, N.C. 27602; or email aweigl@newsobserver.com.
The restaurant
Humble Pie
317 S. Harrington St., Raleigh
919-829-9222
Upcoming Event: On Dec. 1, Humble Pie and Wine Authorities are teaming up for a Meinklang Wine and Winter Feast on the restaurant’s patio. (Diners will be kept warm by fire pits.) The dinner will be served family style and each course will be paired with wines from Meinklang, a certified organic and biodynamic winery in Austria. Cost: $50. For reservations, call 919-829-9222.
Avocado and Peas on Toast
4 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 cup cooked peas, blended in food processor
1 teaspoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
Splash red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
1 loaf sourdough, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 (2-inch) piece fresh horseradish
Combine avocados, peas, shallots, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl; mash to combine. Toast or grill sourdough bread and rub with garlic cloves. Top toast with avocado and pea mixture. Garnish with fresh grated horseradish.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Specialty of the House: Humble Pie’s Avocado and Peas on Toast."