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OPENED IN MAY 2014 by Melora Johnson, Juice Girl started by serving cold pressed organic juices, smoothies and snacks, but quickly a need for healthy grab-and-go lunch food in Mill Valley became apparent. Johnson, while still involved in the business, has since relocated to Connecticut, leaving her partner Karen Olson to assume day-to-day operations. “When we decided to start adding food at Juice
Girl we wanted it to be simple, fresh and delicious,” Olson says. Getting the Avocado Square
ingredients right was especially important because of its simplicity. “It had to have the perfect
bread — we sampled many different bakeries; it had to have the perfectly ripe avocado; and then
it needed something else to make it our own.” Since Olson is a garlic lover, it was a no-brainer to
add that pungent flavor to the mix. “The easiest way to achieve that was to find a garlic-infused
oil, because the dish had to have a high-quality olive oil, too.” All that was left was to spice it up
with a bit of salt. “Jane’s Crazy Salt was something I grew up with and it always seemed to make
everything better,” she says. All of it ended up being the ideal mix for the Avocado Square. “As
mothers to three children each, [Johnson and I] have always focused on finding ways to maximize the good stuff and eliminate the processed stuff in their diets,” Olson says. “We are thrilled
that the Mill Valley middle schoolers are walking over for smoothies after school and the high
school students are frequenting us for lunch each day. To see these children be mindful of what
they put into their bodies and make healthy choices — without the presence of adults — warms
our hearts.” Here Olson shares the recipe for the beloved square. juicegirlmv.com KASIA PAWLO WSKA
Out & About / FLAVOR
Juice Girl Avocado Square
SERVES 1
Ingredients
Thick slice of whole-grain wheat bread
(Juice Girl recommends M. H. Bread and Butter
or Parkside Cafe bread)
½ avocado
1 teaspoon garlic-infused olive oil
Jane’s Crazy Salt, to taste
To Prepare
1 Toast bread until lightly brown. 2 Slice avocado in
half and spoon it out of the shell. Turn avocado over, cut
into small slices and fan over the bread, covering the
entire piece. 3 Sprinkle olive oil and Jane’s Crazy Salt
over the top of the avocado. 4 Serve immediately.
How to Properly Cut an Avocado
1 Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface. 2
Cut the avocado in half. 3 Remove the pit by slipping a
spoon between the seed and the fruit. 4 If dicing, score
the flesh of the avocado without piercing the skin. 5 If
slicing, scoop out and slice.
RECIPE
Hip to Be Square
Juice Girl spices up the perfect healthy on-the-go snack.
