PNW Fork & Knife Avocado Toast

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest as a professional chef the majority of my adult life, there are a few things you will learn where standards run high. Of those standardized things, you can easily include seafood. Deep belly, cold-water oysters, in particular.

Then there’s the cannabis.

The Pacific Northwest in known around the world for its therapeutically dank strains like U-Dub, Alaskan Thunderfuck, 9lb Hammer, DJ Short Blueberry, and Blue Magoo to name a few. Other things that have been standardized that stand out to me is the fact that life in the outdoors is a part of everyday. Hiking, camping, fishing, digging for clams, dippin’ for smelts, foraging wild mushrooms and berries — all part of the seasonal sway.

The air in the Pacific Northwest coastal areas is dank, wet, and very sticky. Not conducive for traditional barbeque of smoked pork and meats, but very conducive to cold smoked salmon, and the easily found smoked clams, canned local tuna, and those super sought after Pacific Northwest tinned smoked oyster. Yes, I realize the reaction to oysters is split down the middle like the Montagues and Capulets, but I’m a lover and I’ll fight for my oysters’ rights. Over the years, my cuisine has always seemed to reflect that; showcasing raw oysters in the nude, pan fried oysters (PFO as we all know them), salt baked oysters, fire grilled oysters, oyster stew, oyster po boys, and my own version of oysters rockafella using wild stinging nettles. Oysters always seemed to find their way into my seasonally driven menus. Coastal living for me was always chosen. I got to know most of the oyster men and women directly (also known as draggers) and year after year they would gift me their prized smoked oysters in those classic old-tinned fish containers.

A no-brainer addition to this ubiquitous Pacific Northwest avocado toast would be the well-known Pacific Northwest iconic strain 9lb Hammer, created by Jinxproof Genetics. This dense, mostly indica cultivar was created by crossing Gooberry, Hells Angels OG, and Jack the Ripper. The resin coated buds offer nuances of melon, sweet grape, and lime with a terpene profile rich in myrcene. This cultivar is known to “hit you in the head like a hammer.” I’d like to think this well-constructed avocado toast will hit you in the same fashion. Now that I’ve gone on and on about digging for clams and foraging, let me be honest and tell you that I don’t always have the time to make a proper meal to feed myself and my active family with the demands of the modern times. This smashed avocado toast hits all important points of well-needed nutrients, fats, vitamins, minerals, smoked oysters, and cannabinoids — did I mention the smoked oysters? It’s super easy to make, requires very little time to prep, and is even easier to consume.

Recipe: PNW Fork & Knife Avocado Toast

9lb Hammer, smashed avocado, sriracha pickled chanterelles, smoked oysters, and dry elderberries.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: 5 servings
TOTAL THC/CBD: Depends on the potency of the products used
STATUS: All things Pacific Northwest… on toast
FROM THE CANNABIS PANTRY: Cannabis-infused olive oil, cannabis-infused butter, cannabis-infused hot sauce
CHEF’S STRAIN RECOMMENDATION: 9lb Hammer by Jinx Proof Genetics

EQUIPMENT

• Small stainless-steel mixing bowl
• Large fork
• Cast iron skillet
• Chef’s knife
• Serrated bread knife
• Cutting board
• 5 plates

INGREDIENTS

• 5 pieces artisan sourdough bread (cut ¾-inch thick)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (to toast bread)
• 2 Tbsp cannabis-infused butter
• 2 large, barely ripe organic avocados
• 2 Tbsp cannabis-infused olive oil (made in the mb2e) (use 9lb Hammer if possible)
• 1 tsp Jacobsen sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp cannabis infused hot sauce
• ¼ gram cannabis pollen (optional)
• ½ cup fresh young cannabis leaves
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 1 cup sriracha pickled wild chanterelles (recipe here)
• 3 oz tinned smoked petit oysters
• 1 lime (cut in half to squeeze over each toast)
• 2 Tbsp dry elderberries (found at your local health food store)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In medium hot skillet, put in a little regular olive oil, toast each slice of bread to your desired doneness.
2. Butter each piece of toast with cannabis butter and set aside.
3. In a stainless-steel bowl with a fork, smash the peeled and seeded avocados to your desired consistency.
4. To the avocados add olive oil, juice of half of a lime, sea salt, pepper, hot sauce, and cannabis pollen and mix well.
5. Top each piece of toast with a few fresh cannabis leaves, smashed avocado mixture, some pickled chanterelles, a few smoked oysters, and a few cilantro sprigs.
6. Squeeze the other half lime over each of the toasts and sprinkle each toast with a little additional sea salt, pepper, and a few dry elderberries.
7. Serve with a fork and knife, an additional lime wedge, and hot sauce on the plate of your choice.