Banana Drink
Ever since I saw Fredo Corleone drink one in The Godfather Part II, I have loved banana daiquiris! If you have a "bullet blender," create a summer treat by blending together fresh banana with rum, lime juice, triple sec, and a few ice cubes.
Good eating!
Favorite Asian Paste/Sauce
Gochujang is a delicious fermented ingredient but also packs some serious heat. One of my favorite marinades combines equal parts gochujang and miso paste which cuts the heat in half. I whisk together the pastes with a bit of soy sauce and mirin, along with some chopped garlic, onion, and black pepper. The marinade is perfect for grilling vegetables—toss the vegetables and marinate before char-grilling.
Good eating!
Berry Trifle
My favorite Mother’s Day dessert is one my own mom taught me called “Grammy Pammy’s Trifle.” It’s packed with blackberries, blueberries, MFC Strawberries, raspberries, and peaches. I layer the fruit with angel food cake, custard, and whipped cream to cream a stunning visual display that is quite delicious.
Eat well!
Reducing Food Waste
The easiest way to reduce waste is by using Ready-Set-Serve products. Not only do you get 100% yield from these products, but you also reduce time and labor, get a consistent product, and have the backing of Markon's 5-Star Food Safety® Program. Another way to reduce waste is to use everything: in composts, purees, sauces, soups, and stocks. I even like to dry scraps to add flavor when smoking ingredients.
Eat well!
Cuban Foods
Ajiaco Cubano is a wonderful stew that combines the country’s African, Amerindian, Chinese, and Spanish heritage. It contains a variety of produce items such as corn, plantains, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, taro roots, and yucca. Simmered with a variety of meats and a pungent sofrito, this dish will give your customers an authentic experience.
Eat well!
Using Avocados
Avocados, a.k.a. alligator pears, are a healthy ingredient that can provide a decadent experience. I use them as a non-dairy base for mousse desserts, in dairy-free spreads, and as an ingredient in superfood shakes and smoothies for creamy texture. They also work well for upgrading salads and sandwiches.
Eat well!
On-the-Go Bites
Produce makes a great carrier for items already on your menu like dips with raw broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and radishes or roasted beets, kale, sweet potatoes, and yucca. Pickled Brussels sprouts, chile peppers, cucumbers, fennel, and mushrooms are ideal on charcuterie and cheese boards. Remember you can also turn any salad idea into a mobile application by using RSS Lettuce Jammers instead of tortillas and bread.
Eat well!
Spring Asparagus
I love the grassy flavors of fresh asparagus. I like to keep it clean by blanching for three minutes and adding simple kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper before grilling or charring. This method lends a smoky robustness to this delicate vegetable—it’s even better when you add RSS Lemon Juice and the zest of MFC Lemons. Terrific in green salads or with fish and poultry!
Good eating!
Vegetarian Menu Items
Texas is the land of beef, but even here we are seeing the trend of more veg-centric dishes. I suggest offering at least one grilled vegetable pasta dish and one produce-laden flatbread on menus. Top a house-made crust with grilled portabellini mushrooms, bell peppers, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and plenty of garlic. Throw on some goat cheese and this is a crave-worthy dish.
Good eating!
Green Smoothies
I like the freshness that cucumbers and mint add to green smoothies. Other favorites include kale, spinach, Granny Smith apples, and celery.
Good eating!
Grilled Veg Sandwich
I actually just added a grilled vegetarian sandwich to a menu I developed. I love grilling MFC Portabella Mushrooms with RSS Peeled Garlic. Stack on slices of charred MFC Red Bell Pepper and several spears of grilled MFC Asparagus; top it all with an avocado aioli for a sandwich with fresh flavors and a smoky finish.
Good eating!
Using Spring Produce
When I think about spring, I think fresh peas, white asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, and rhubarb (which brings back memories of growing up in the Northeast). I love to make strawberry rhubarb pies and rhubarb compotes to serve with both sweet and savory dishes. Fennel is another item I love to use in salads or saute for a side dish.
Good eating!
St. Patrick's Day Green
Of course green cabbage, but also asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. I like to make salads with shaved asparagus tossed with RSS Lemon Juice, olive oil, minced shallots, pine nuts, and grated Parmesan cheese. I also like blanching, then grilling asparagus and tossing with sea salt and RSS Lemon Juice.
Good eating!
MFC Broccoli Crowns
MFC Broccoli Crowns! This is a great product for many reason—it makes a lot of dollars and sense. With the stems removed there is 100% yield on each case, making labor and recipe cost analysis much more accurate. Plus there are a thousand different ways to prepare broccoli—steamed, sauteed, roasted, stir-fried, puréed—even raw with dips like hummus.
Good eating!
Using Cauliflower
Cauliflower is still going crazy and I think it will continue for some time. People are seeing the true versatility of this cruciferous vegetable. It can be grilled, pureed, sauteed, seared on a griddle, steamed, and even used as a rice substitute. I take a cleaned head and run it through a food processor until it is the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs—then I cook it like fried rice. It’s also delicious to roast large chunks with olive oil until browned.
Good eating!
Pizza and Flatbread Toppings
Flatbreads continue to be a popular item because of their versatility. You can top them with just about any combination of items. I will start with a spread like strong basil pesto and top with thinly sliced prosciutto, shaved Parmesan cheese, arugula, and a drizzle of balsamic syrup. The sweetness of the balsamic syrup balances the bite of the arugula. Skip the prosciutto and voila! A vegetarian version! Other good combinations include pureed white bean spread with truffle oil, caramelized sweet onions, roasted red peppers, and crumbled goat cheese as well as balsamic fig reduction spread topped with roasted grapes, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, and shredded kale.
Good eating!
No-Waste Cooking
The big trend I’m seeing is chefs reducing waste by using the entire product. Much like the snout-to-tail style of cooking, we are trying to use as much of a product as possible for more layers of flavor and less shrink. For example, instead of only using broccoli crowns, chefs are putting the leaves in salads and shaving stems into slaws. Now more than ever, with global demand and changing climates, foodservice operators need to utilize whole plants. With all the time, water, care and resources used to grow our produce, it’s the right thing to do.
Good eating!
Functional Foods: RSS Super Slaw
I like Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Super Slaw made with shredded kale, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. It’s a great way to upgrade cole slaw and makes a fresh, healthy garnish in ramen soups.
Good eating!
Valentine's Day Ingredients
I love to make a simple appetizer/salad called roasted beet carpaccio with radishes and Bull’s Blood micro greens. I layer roasted, sliced beets with paper-thin rainbow and French breakfast radishes. I top all with the bright micro greens, creme fraiche vinaigrette, and shaved Reggiano Parmigiano. The vibrant red colors from the beets and the pinks of the radish scream Valentine’s Day.
Good eating!
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
One of my new favorite go-to items is called cauliflower crumbles. I recently made a simple pasta sauce by blanching them in vegetable stock and pureeing with roasted garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and pinch of nutmeg, then toss with pasta and shaved Grana Padano cheese. I swear you would think it's alfredo sauce unless someone told you otherwise..with a lot fewer calories!
Good eating!
Favorite Produce Item
All of the new kale items like RSS Baby Kale Mix, RSS Shredded Kale Blend, and Markon First Crop Kalettes. It’s very exciting to see value-added produce cross-pollinating with other movements like healthy, clean eating.
Good eating!
Sous Vide Cooking
I’m looking forward to working with cooking produce in the sous vide method. Protein usually steals the limelight when it comes to sous vide, but using this technique with fresh fruits and vegetables also produces amazing results.
Good eating!
Seasonal Citrus
At this time of year, the North Atlantic water temperatures plummet and seafood flavors really start to shine. I love using fresh citrus, zests and juices, with raw or barely cooked items like seafood crudo in place of traditional mignonette.
Good eating!
Cold-Weather Salads
I love to use kale, cooked or raw, with whole grains like farro and quinoa. I also like high-heat roasting items like MFC Eggplant, RSS Baby Carrots, or RSS Cauliflower Florets with olive oil and good sea salt, then tossing with kale, grains, and umami-rich dressings that use fermented ingredients like kimchi and sriracha.
Good eating!
Roasting Root Veggies
I like to roast root vegetables on high heat with local honey and hearty herbs like MFC Sage, MFC Rosemary, and MFC Thyme. When done properly, this technique brings out the deep flavor compounds that might otherwise go unappreciated.
Good eating!
Using Citrus
Using acidity in a hearty winter dish will bring balance to the other components. Just a bit of citrus will help bring out the salt, sweet, and heat in a dish. Grate citrus zest over a dish just before serving to bring another sense to the dish—smell!
Good eating!
Root Veggie Soups
I'm a huge fan of the parsnip when making a root vegetable soup. Parsnips have a great flavor combination between sweet and savory that can be used to deepen the flavor of many dishes. The best part about parsnips is that they actually get sweeter after the winter frost, so it’s a great item to use when many products may not be available. I like to serve simple, but strong flavors like parsnip soup with truffle oil, caviar, or maple syrup.
Good eating!
Chicken & Waffles with Herbs
The classic we're seeing right now is fried chicken and waffles. I love to go a bit further and add the depth of fresh herbs, especially rosemary, sage, and lavender. Try combining them all and balancing with whipped butter, cream, or mascarpone. For sweet waffles, I like to dip them in chocolate or meringue, stuff with custard, and top with shaved coconut and fresh berries.
Good eating!
Trending Cuisine
This past year we worked on developing custom salad mixes. Now we’re seeing chefs move even more into custom blends, especially those that allow you to incorporate items that will build height and require less on the plate. The RSS Heritage Blends are a great example of this.
Good eating!
Pasta with Fresh Produce
My favorite way to use seasonal vegetables is to cook them on the grill, then incorporate them into light pasta dishes that use olive oil, fresh garlic, and seasonal herbs.
Good eating!
Fresh Fruits in Breakfast Menus
During the fall and winter months, I love roasting fruits and using them to make compotes and cobblers, stuff into crepes, and serve over pancakes. It’s also delicious to mix minced MFC Strawberries with cream cheese to create stuffed French toast, add to bread pudding, and to top waffles.
Good eating!
Favorite Produce Side for Steaks
For grilled steak I like to serve sauteed Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Baby Spinach with RSS Peeled Garlic and crumbled bacon. For roasts, I add seasonal vegetables like MFC Carrots, MFC Onions, MFC Potatoes, turnips, and beets to the roasting pan along with the meat so they absorb all of the delicious juices.
Good eating!
Nut Pairings
I like to add crushed or chopped nuts to seasonal salads, fruit cobblers (apple, blackberry, and pear), and quick breads such as banana, pumpkin, and zucchini.
Good eating!
Seasonal Ingredients for Fall
I adore cooking with apples in all forms. They are so versatile, they pair with a wide variety of seasonal items such as cranberries, pumpkin, sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup, Swiss chard with bacon and onion, turnips, and winter squashes like Acorn and Butternut.
Good eating!
MFC Arugula
I really enjoy MFC Arugula for its consistent color and strong flavor. Often I will toss it with lemony vinaigrette, top it with grilled asparagus, and a gently fried egg. A little drizzle of truffle oil goes well with the deep flavors of arugula.
Good eating!
RSS Brussels Sprouts
I love RSS Brussels Sprouts—they are ready to use right out of the bag and have consistent size and flavor year-round. Most menus I see pair them with salty meats like bacon and prosciutto, which is delicious, but for brighter flavor, I like to saute them with fresh cranberries.
Good eating!
RSS Juices and Herbs
RSS juices are superior in any kitchen due to the clean natural flavors. I like to reduce the juice down to use as a citrus base for pork tenderloin prior to grilling or roasting. The acid also enhances the natural oils found in herbs like MFC Rosemary and Thyme.
Good eating!
Highlighting Fall Fruit
I like to keep it simple, clean, and very fresh. Baking them whole with a hint of butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and complementary fruits such as blackberries, cranberries, and figs allows their flavors to shine.
Good eating!
Using Potatoes
Potatoes are a fall favorite and make excellent side dishes for all types of proteins. My current favorite is the Hasselback potato—sliced multiple times and roasted with butter or olive oil. Delicious and a great presentation as well.
Good eating!
Fall Salads
As the weather cools down, salads get heartier. I like using cruciferous vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower tossed with RSS Shredded Kale for a stick-to-your-ribs salad that is as healthy as it is delicious.
Good eating!
Flatbread Toppings
The flatbread category has exploded in recent years…these pizza-like appetizers and entrees can be topped with nearly any ingredients, but I especially like salty meats like ham paired with fruits like Markon First Crop (MFC) Pears, Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Pineapple Chunks, or shaved cantaloupe. I also like to pile them high with heirloom tomatoes, roasted RSS Peeled Garlic, MFC Basil, and Burrata cheese.
Good eating!
Side Dishes
I love a good cole slaw—especially when I use Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Super Slaw as the base. It includes kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage, making it extremely healthy and nutritious. At other times, I like to add shredded MFC Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, jicama, and fresh cilantro to RSS Cole Slaw Mix for a Latin flair.
Good eating!
Using Mushrooms in Pasta Sauce
I really like using mushrooms in classic dishes like pasta Bolognese. Add some fresh or even dry mushrooms to your soffritto along with the carrots, celery, and onions, and pulse in a food processor. As the sauce simmers with the other ingredients the mushrooms will impart that earthy umami flavor that I love in a good ragu for pasta.
Good eating!
Quintessential Italian Dish
The quintessential dish that reminds me of my time in Italy is broccoli with house-made Italian sausage, orecchiette pasta, and shaved Reggiano Parmigiano in a light fennel broth.
Good eating!
Using RSS Juices
RSS Juices work perfect for classic sauces such as a gastrique. Try using RSS Grapefruit Juice balanced with some sugar or honey, and add a touch of rice wine vinegar. Serve this light sauce with pan-seared scallops and micro greens for an ideal appetizer.
Good eating!
Using Carrots
First thing every morning, I juice Markon First Crop (MFC) Carrots, MFC Oranges, and fresh ginger to get my day going. For menus I like tossing RSS Shredded Carrots with kale, salad blends, or simply seasoning them with olive oil, salt, and pepper—then roasting in the oven until lightly caramelized. Slow roasting brings out the natural sugars and balances the salt.
Good eating!
Using RSS Kale Blend
My favorite right now is the RSS Kale Blend, The multi-color mixture of purple, red, and green gives you a great starting base and makes easy use of the on-trend ingredient kale.
Kale is very versatile—it’s great as a cold green salad, slightly wilted and warm, or as side dish ingredient. When using kale, I like to start with olive oil or bacon fat to counter its inherent bitterness. Next I add a light acid like apple cider vinegar or citrus juice to balance the dressing. RSS Peeled Garlic, ramps, and Markon First Crop Onions stand up well to kale’s bold flavor in savory dishes. I also like to use kale with fresh fruits and honey for a bit of sweetness and nuts for crunchy texture.
Good eating!
Blue-Belly-Bella-Brioche Sandwich
I call my sandwich the Blue, Belly, Bella, Brioche. First I toast a brioche bun, spread it with a thin layer of blue cheese dressing, and top it with endive and a slice of Markon First Crop (MFC) Red Onion. Next I sear a bourbon- and maple syrup-marinated MFC Portabella Mushroom and strips of pork belly until caramelized and add all to the brioche stack. The bitterness of the endive and blue cheese meld well with the richness of pork belly and Portabella, while it all gets a little sweetness from the maple syrup. Try this delicious and well-balanced sandwich!
Good eating!
Superfood Smoothies
I have so many favorites including the several superfood smoothies that use any combination of the following: kale (iron), carrots (vitamin A), citrus (vitamin C), blueberries (antioxidants), pineapple (vitamin B), Greek yogurt (protein), avocados (healthy fats), and mint (digestion). For a tropical blend I mix RSS Pineapple Chunks, RSS Orange Sections, banana, and mango. For a mixed berry smoothie, try MFC Strawberries with blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
Good eating!
Using Produce in Rice Dishes
The generally neutral flavors of rice make it an excellent blank palette that can be used in applications across all meal parts and cuisines. Pilaf is my go-to rice dish. I always start with Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Peeled Garlic and RSS Sliced Yellow Onions that I sweat in fat and then use to toast rice before adding stock. Additions can be easily made at this point for multiple cuisines. For a Latin rice dish, use chile peppers, cilantro, cumin, lime, tomatoes, and tomatillos. For fall recipes, add cranberries, nutmeg, pumpkin, sage, and squash.
Good eating!