Valentine’s Day is long associated with produce items such as strawberries. But what about pink pineapples? Or pink radicchio?
“With more people being vegetarian, vegan or even just plant-forward, these kinds of items add color to dishes for Valentine’s Day. Most menus that day decorate their plate with color and chefs look to see what produce items they can use to elevate their plates with,” says Dianne Marques, director of merchandising sales operations for Baldor Specialty Foods based in Bronx, NY.
Here’s a peek at a few items from Baldor’s that chefs will be incorporating into Valentine's Day dishes.
PinkGlow pineapples: “This is one of the coolest items,” says Marques. “When the pink pineapple first came out, people were hesitant because they didn’t know how it would taste. But it has a really nice Brix profile and it’s not too acidic.” While the pink pineapple from Del Monte is being used in desserts and other dishes, its juice is also used in cocktails as well.
MandaRosa red mandarins: “These mandarins come from the West Coast and it’s nice to get a blood orange that’s domestic,” says Marques. “The taste on them is is phenomenal--it’s very sweet and tender this year.”
Hidden Rose apples: “These are an heirloom apple that we like to keep year-round if possible,” says Marques. “They have a nice mild tart taste but it also has a nice strawberry finish. It’s cool to have as an apple to get all those flavors to the palette.”
Candy Cane Beets and Watermelon radishes: Both sourced from Babe Farms in Santa Maria, CA, chefs are using these root vegetable items to add a pop of color this year.
Red endive and Organic Rosalba Radicchio: This is a popular item with chefs that offers versatility throughout the Valentine’s Day meal. “Some chefs put the whole head on the plate because it’s small enough that it dresses it up and you can pair other food items with it,” says Marques.
For more information:
Baldor’s Specialty Foods
https://www.baldorfood.com/
