(Family Features) Those summer nights when a cool breeze replaces the warmth of the day have arrived. Gather your family, friends and loved ones, and elevate your entertaining with in-season California avocados for a backyard celebration featuring small bites and sweet treats.

Share a new favorite recipe with this simple dip that calls for just three pantry staples and fresh produce. California Cowboy Caviar includes beans, corn, olives, green onions, crisp cucumber and creamy California avocado for a tasty salsa everyone can enjoy with tortilla chips or served in lettuce cups. 

For a cool nightcap, California Avocado Coconut Ice Cream provides an extra-creamy tropical delight with a base that takes mere minutes to make. Put your own spin on this summertime dessert by topping with coconut flakes, sprinkles, caramel or fudge. 

Locally grown, sustainably farmed and ethically sourced, California avocados make entertaining easy with recipes like these as an in-season fruit perfect for those craving local produce. The California farmers who grow them prioritize premium quality with a focus on responsible, sustainable farming practices, worker well-being and community support. Grown in rich soil warmed by sunshine, cooled by gentle breezes and tended to by dedicated growers, this delicious fruit can make it from the grove to your table in just a few days. 

Mostly sold on the West Coast, just look for California on the label so you can feel good about supporting local farmers and their sustainable growing practices, all while enjoying this delicious, premium-quality fruit. Make sure to pick up some California avocados while they are in season through late summer. 

To find more mouthwatering recipes to make entertaining a breeze all summer long, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com or follow along at Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados and Instagram.com/ca_avocados.

California Cowboy Caviar

Recipe courtesy of California Avocado Grower Tara Axell Rosenthal

• 1 can (15 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (11 ounces) shoepeg or sweet corn, drained
• 1 can (4 1/4 ounces) chopped California black olives
• 3 green onions, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 large, ripe, Fresh California Avocado, seeded, peeled and diced
• scoop-shaped tortilla chips or lettuce cups, for serving

1. Mix beans, corn, olives, green onions and cucumber. Gently fold in avocado and serve with tortilla chips or spooned into lettuce cups.

Variations: Use fresh corn instead of canned. Add heat with minced chiles like serranos or jalapenos.

California Avocado Coconut Ice Cream

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 large, ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded, peeled and quartered
• 1 can (13 1/2 ounces) coconut milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• toasted coconut flakes, for garnish (optional)
• sprinkles, for garnish (optional)
• caramel topping, for garnish (optional)
• fudge topping, for garnish (optional)

1. In blender or food processor, combine sugar, salt, avocados, coconut milk, cream and lemon juice. Use smoothie, puree or frappe setting, if available, and blend 2 minutes. If necessary, stop blender and carefully stir ingredients then blend again until smooth.
2. Follow manufacturer directions on ice cream maker to churn ice cream, including time to chill blended ingredients, if necessary.
3. For soft serve ice cream, serve immediately after blending. For firmer ice cream, spoon into freezer-safe container, cover with lid and freeze 2 hours.
4. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, sprinkles, caramel topping or fudge topping, if desired.

Source: California Avocado Commission

(Family Features) If lending a hand to planet Earth and the environment is a goal in your household, a sustainability mindset often begins as a consumer. There are likely a few ways you can be more environmentally conscious when stocking your pantry for all your family’s favorite recipes.

Start by considering the decisions you make in the grocery store aisles that impact the world around you. Beginning with a belief that food should have it all – convenience, taste and quality – Success Rice is dedicated to safeguarding the environment and ensuring well-being through food. A commitment to becoming more sustainable, from farming to manufacturing and packaging, is at the heart of producing high-quality rice and quinoa while caring for the planet.

For example, these sweet and spicy Golden Beet and Rice Burger Sliders provide a plant-forward alternative at the dinner table. Delicious and hearty, the vegetarian sliders are perfect for occasions ranging from family game nights to outdoor entertaining with the combination of veggies, jasmine rice and beans.

Or you can opt for an earth-friendly dish with sustainability in its name: Zero-Waste Moroccan Spice Rice and Lentil Pilaf. Ready in just half an hour, it delivers a fragrant, flavorful meal without waste. It balances warm spices, basmati rice and bursts of zesty lemon for a dynamic and colorful recipe.

Regardless of the occasion, the variety of Success Rice Boil-in-Bag products can help you be a good steward for the planet while serving good food to friends and family. In fact, the amount of plastic material in the BPA-free bags has been reduced by 7%. Additionally, the How2Recycle labeling system conveys clear instructions for its 100% recyclable boxes and bags, and, as part of a continued mission, more packaging options are being explored to increase recyclability.

Discover more ways to do your part for the environment, without sacrificing taste or quality, by visiting SuccessRice.com.

Golden Beet and Rice Burger Sliders

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

• 1 bag Success Jasmine Rice
• 1/2 can (7 1/2 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tablespoon water
• 4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) golden beets, cooked and grated
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 12 leaves Bibb lettuce
• 1 cup arugula
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool completely.
2. In food processor, pulse beans, egg and water until mashed.
3. Transfer bean mixture to large bowl. Add rice, beets, 1 1/2 ounces goat cheese, dill, salt and pepper; stir until combined. Divide mixture into six portions and shape into 1/2-inch-thick patties.
4. In large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Cook patties in two batches, 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and heated through, adding remaining oil as necessary.
5. Place two lettuce leaves together, overlapping ends to form pocket. Place patty inside lettuce pocket; top with arugula and remaining goat cheese. Drizzle with Sriracha. Repeat with remaining burgers.

Zero-Waste Moroccan Spice Rice and Lentil Pilaf

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

• 5 cups water
• 1/3 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 bag Success Basmati Rice
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (stalks and leaves)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Moroccan spice blend
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup preserved lemons, finely chopped

1. In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water to boil. Add lentils and cook 10-15 minutes, or until slightly soft.
2. Submerge bag of rice in saucepan with lentils and cook 10-12 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove bag with fork and drain; set aside. Drain lentils and transfer back to saucepan. Cut open bag of rice and empty cooked rice into saucepan with lentils. Stir to combine.
3. Stir in cilantro, green onions, olive oil, Moroccan spice blend, raisins, almonds and preserved lemons. Serve.

Source: Success Rice