19th Annual Produce Business Foodservice Portfolio

For foodservice distributors and wholesalers, the information that follows — recipes, tips and techniques, product availability, unique attributes, company contact information and much more — is perfectly designed to be passed down to operators.

For retailers, this information is ideal for your own prepared food operations.

Restaurant operations will also find it perfectly on the mark for everyday use.

The 19th Annual Produce Business Foodservice Portfolio is filled with fresh ideas for using fresh product. Use the portfolio often and wisely, and get valuable, fresh ideas to help make the foodservice market a growing part of your bottom line.

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc.

The Del Monte Fresh avocado program has seen significant year-over-year sales growth. We are working to expand our global footprint of avocados through increased packing facilities, personnel and customer specific programs. Growth of avocado consumption in the past few years has been outstanding! The nationwide focus on health and wellness has led consumers to demand and expect healthier options wherever they shop or dine, and avocados are ideally positioned to address consumer needs.

Tips & Techniques: Avocados can be enjoyed regularly in salads, soups, on sandwiches and in side dishes. They can also be used as a healthy alternative for butter or mayonnaise, as well as the main ingredient for homemade guacamole.

Unique Attributes: Del Monte’s expertise in ripening avocados sets us apart. We have 23 company-owned ripening and distribution centers spread across North America in strategic locations, enabling us to provide high-quality, ready-to-eat Del Monte® avocados on a daily basis to more locations at the right time. We recently added more than 40 new state-of-the-art ripening rooms for our avocado operations. All of our operations utilize advanced technologies, providing enhanced food safety, consistent quality and environmental sustainability. We also provide award-winning merchandising, category management and marketing programs to support our customers in their efforts to grow sales.

Product Availability Guide: Del Monte Fresh Hass avocados are available year-round and are sourced from Mexico, California, Peru and Chile. We also pack our own fruit out of California after the recent addition of a new packing line in our Santa Fe Springs facility.

Buying Practices: At Del Monte we understand the importance of educating our partners on the different stages of avocado ripeness. Driving sales through appropriate purchases that line up with consumer demand will increase volume and keep inventory fresh. Ripening and fruit maturity vary throughout the year, so relaying those seasonal variances are part of our value added commitment.

STUFFED AVOCADOS WITH SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients

3 Del Monte avocados
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 oz cooked baby shrimp (or 1 cup chopped cooked shrimp)
½ cup finely chopped cucumber
½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes

Halve each avocado lengthwise. Remove pit; scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4-inch wall all around. Reserve avocado shells and chop scooped-out avocado.

In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, dill, chives, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes and chopped avocado; toss to combine.

Spoon salad into reserved avocado shells. Serve immediately.

Servings Suggestions:

• Top with finely crumbled feta cheese
• Serve with lemon wedges
• Garnish with small sprigs of dill

Del Monte
P.O. Box 149222
Coral Gables, FL 33114
Tel: 1.800.950.3683
freshdelmonte.com • fruits.com

Grimmway Farms

Color and Crunch, Available Year-Round

• Grimmway’s rainbow carrot offerings add a kaleidoscope of color to any dish, featuring purple, red, yellow, orange and white varieties.
• They’re an excellent source of vitamin A, and each color offers a distinctly different flavor.
• Rainbow julienne shredded carrots are offered in ¼-inch cuts and sold in 5-pound packs (2 or 4 units per carton).

Storage and Handling

• Refrigerate carrots immediately to avoid a break in the cold chain.
• Keep carrots stored at 32° to 36°F, with 98 to 100% relative humidity.
• Store carrots away from ethylene-producing items, such as apples, avocados, and bananas.
• Peeled carrots can whiten from natural dryness; a quick ice water bath will freshen the carrots and restore their bright color.

GRIMMWAY FARMS JULIENNE STYLE RAINBOW CARROT PIZZA

Pizza Crust

(Recipe for dough yields 2 14-inch pies)

4 cups of bread flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 packet of fast-acting/instant yeast
1½ cups of water (110°F)
1 tsp of honey
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix together dry ingredients until well blended. Add wet ingredients and mix until the dough forms a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place dough inside. Cover with plastic and sit in a warm area for 3 to 4 hours.

When dough has risen, place on a lightly floured surface and separate into two. Cover dough balls with a paper towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Knead and shape each ball into your pizza shape.

Pizza Topping

1½ Grimmway Farms julienne rainbow carrots
2 cloves garlic, sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil (for drizzle)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Toss rainbow carrots, tomatoes and garlic in olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, and place in oven to roast while the pizza stone heats up.

Pizza Filling

1½ cups ricotta cheese
1 packet dry ranch dressing

Mix ricotta cheese with dry ranch dressing until well blended. When pizza stone is ready, spread out crust on stone. Add ricotta cheese mixture and spread, covering pizza. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese; add roasted veggies on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Grimmway Farms
P.O. Box 81498,
Bakersfield, CA 93380
Tel: 661.845.9435
Fax: 661.845.9750
grimmway.com

Mann Packing Company Inc.

Arcadian Harvest® Organic

Already an industry favorite in its conventional format, Mann’s Arcadian Harvest® Organic is now available. A combination of four European lettuce varieties, plus a mild flavor profile, Arcadian Harvest Organic offers an upscale-looking mix of textures and colors.

Washed and ready to eat, Arcadian Harvest Organic consists of fully mature, petite lettuces that are more robust than baby lettuces. Cut only once at the base, the pinking normally seen in “chopped lettuces” is eliminated.

Plus, their multi-dimensional leaves provide unmatched lift on the plate. In fact, a 1-ounce serving of Arcadian Harvest Organic equals 1.5 ounces of spring mix in terms of plate coverage.

Certified organic, Mann’s Arcadian Harvest delivers a consistent and reliable product that is available year round. An excellent alternative to organic spring mix, use it in salads, wraps and sandwiches.

ARCADIAN HARVEST® ORGANIC MEXICAN SUMMER SALAD WITH LIME DRESSING

Ingredients

1½ cups matchstick-size strips peeled jicama
¼ cup avocado oil (may substitute extra virgin olive oil)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
5 oz Mann’s Arcadian Harvest Organic
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 5-ounce package soft fresh Cotija cheese, crumbled (may substitute with goat cheese)
1 orange, peeled and segmented
½ cup pepitas, toasted

Toss first 4 ingredients in large bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add avocado, orange and goat cheese; toss gently. Divide salad among plates. Sprinkle pepitas evenly over plates.

Great with tequila lime grilled chicken skewers.

Mann’s Packing
P.O. Box 690, Salinas, CA 93902
Tel: 831.422.7405
Fax: 831.422.5171
veggiesmadeeasy.com/foodservice

Naturipe Farms

Tips & Techniques: Fresh berries add color, flavor and texture to any menu item.

Fresh berries will help:

• Increase profits
• Lower food costs
• Simplify BOH operations
• Increase perceived value of menu items
• Offer healthy, desirable menu choices
• Stay current with new menu trends
• Satisfy customer demand

The versatility of berries goes far beyond snacking as they can be incorporated into any meal. Berries can go sweet or savory — experiment to combine them with different flavor profiles.

Add berries to the menu year-round. Blueberries are easy to use. There’s no cutting, peeling or pitting. Just give them a quick rinse and they’re ready.

Unique Attributes: Given the multitude of uses, it is no surprise Naturipe berries are making their way onto menus where the use of a fresh berry was previously uncommon. Quick-service and fast-casual dining are showing interest in berries to add freshness, great taste and health to menus.

• Fresh berries are now found as a colorful topping on best-selling entrée salads in quick-service restaurants.
• Ready-to-Eat (RTE) berries are also available as a nutritious mix-in for on-the-go oatmeal at national quick-service restaurants and coffee chains.
• The latest parent-pleasing trend in fast-casual restaurants is serving a kid-sized assortment of fresh, sweet berries to children upon seating.
• Using berries is easier than ever with Naturipe’s RTE extended shelf life blueberries and strawberries. This unique harvest-to-package system extends the shelf life of pre-washed fresh blueberries for up to three weeks and strawberries for up to two weeks (when properly refrigerated). This process ensures the berries are triple-inspected, washed and placed in modified-atmosphere packaging, producing a high-quality berry that is ready to serve. This FRESH line allows more restaurants to offer fresh, health-favorable berries — previously thought impossible.

Promotion: Restaurants and foodservice operators can capitalize on the health benefits of berries by promoting dishes to customers:

• Berries are a top source of disease-fighting antioxidants.
• Berries offer great taste and convenience along with being very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
• Berries are a good source of dietary fiber, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

NATURIPE® BLUEBERRY PESTO

Ingredients

1½ cups matchstick-size strips peeled jicama
¼ cup avocado oil (may substitute extra virgin olive oil)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
5 oz Mann’s Arcadian Harvest Organic
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 5-ounce package soft fresh Cotija cheese, crumbled (may substitute with goat cheese)
1 orange, peeled and segmented
½ cup pepitas, toasted

2 cups fresh Naturipe® RTE blueberries
1 packed cup washed and destemmed parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts, plus some for garnish
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
8oz goat cheese

In a blender, process all ingredients, except goat cheese, until a paste forms.

Spoon the blueberry pesto over the goat cheese, enough to cover top and sides. Leftovers can be frozen.

Serve with crackers or sliced baguette, and garnish with nuts and fresh blueberries.

Makes 3 cups

Naturipe
P.O. Box 4280, Salinas, CA 93912
Tel: 831.443.2358
naturipefarms.com
[email protected]