LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2013) – Frieda’s Champagne Grapes with an attention grabbing green and purple label are available for pre-booking now.  Packed in a 16/1 lb. clamshell to protect the fruit, Frieda’s will have good supplies of Champagne Grapes beginning in July.

“Frieda’s new label stands out in your grape displays which makes it easier for consumers to find them and pick them up,” said Karen Caplan, Frieda’s President and CEO.  “No grape display is complete without Frieda’s Champagne Grapes!”

Frieda’s recommends displaying Champagne Grapes refrigerated with other grape varieties. The Grapes can also be cross-merchandised with gourmet cheeses and wines for entertaining ideas. They are also a perfect addition to a Year of Purple display.

Contact your Frieda’s account manager to receive an information sheet and other marketing materials to support your Champagne Grape sales.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Inc. celebrates more than 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic and many more. Frieda’s officially declared 2013 as The Year of Purple. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and www.friedas.com.

Ingredients

Special equipment: A well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Cardamom-infused Rum

3 tablespoons dark rum
3 cardamom pods

Crush cardamom pods in a small bowl. Add rum. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Discard the pods and seeds.

Topping

1 large Frieda’s Starfruit or 2 small ones
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon cardamom-infused rum (recipe above)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoon cardamom-infused rum for sprinkling

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly wash Starfruit and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat until sugar is melted and the mixture is sticky, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange Starfruit on top of sugar mixture.  Set aside.

Sift together flour, making powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually add sugar, and eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cardamom-infused rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Put a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate. Replace any fruit stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cardamom-infused rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack.

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

Salad

4 medium Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, washed
1/4 cup olive oil
5 oz. baby arugula

Chipotle Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 chipotle chile from a 7 oz. can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. sauce from a 7 oz. can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped

Salmon

6 – 4-6 oz. portion salmon filets
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

Preheat oven to 350˚F and cut Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes into a 1/2” dice and toss with olive oil.  Line cookie sheet with foil and lay the sweet potatoes in one layer.  Roast potatoes for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally.  Let cool to warm.

Whisk to combine all ingredients for vinaigrette. The mixture should look emulsified and creamy.  Toss the warm sweet potato cubes with arugula and drizzle with Chipotle Vinaigrette, or serve on the side.

For the salmon, heat pan or grill to medium heat. Drizzle salmon with oil and sprinkle with salt a pepper.  Lay salmon filets on the grill or pan surface, presentation side down. Cook time will take about 6 minutes per side and this will depend upon thickness.  Salmon will whiten from the pan side up as it cooks, so look for white half way up one side, and then flip the salmon.  Serve hot with the salad on the side.

Ingredients

1 lb. Frieda’s Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes
1/2 cup mint, fresh, (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 TBS tequila
1 1/2 TBS lime juice
3 tsp mint, fresh
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes. Trim the ends of each artichoke, remove the outer leaves and cut the artichokes in half.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boil in a pot. (Optional: Drop in  1/2 cup of fresh mint.)  Add a steamer insert over the water and place the artichokes into the steamer basket. Cover tightly, and steam until just tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Cool slightly, drain well and coat artichokes evenly with olive oil. Arrange artichokes in a single layer on a roasting pan and bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

While artichokes roast, whisk together mayonnaise, 1 1/2 TBS tequila, lime juice, 3 tsp. chopped fresh mint, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Remove artichokes from the oven and season with salt and pepper. Place artichokes on a serving plate. (Optional: Drizzle with 1 TBS tequila.)  Serve artichokes warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce.

Ingredients

1 lb. Frieda’s Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes
3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, ground
1/4 cup white wine
2 TBS lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 TBS parsley, Italian, chopped

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes. Trim the ends of each artichoke, remove the outer leaves and cut the artichokes in half. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Place the artichokes in the oil, cut side down forming one layer and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the artichokes until the oil is bubbling and hot, about 5 minutes, then add white wine, lemon juice, and garlic.  Continue cooking for 3 more minutes, then reduce heat to low, cover the skillet and cook until artichokes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve artichokes warm or at room temperature. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2013) – Purple is the hottest trend in food, fashion, and beyond for 2013.  The brilliant color is eye-catching on the runway and an attention grabber in the produce department.  Frieda’s Specialty Produce encourages produce merchandisers to take advantage of the Year of Purple celebration and create an exciting and attractive display that will encourage shoppers to buy healthy purple produce.

“As we continue to celebrate the Year of Purple at Frieda’s, we notice that the purple produce trend continues to grow,” said Frieda’s President and CEO Karen Caplan. “When retailers group purple produce items together, it creates a purple destination display that will peak shoppers’ curiosity and draw them in to buy something they haven’t seen or tasted before.”

Frieda’s suggests purple destination displays to include the following items: Sangria Artichokes, Fiore Viola Artichokes, Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes, Graffiti Eggplant, Purple Cauliflower, Baby Purple Potatoes, Radicchio, and Purple Kohlrabi.

Other Year of Purple items include Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts, Purple Asparagus, Kale Sprouts, Concord Grapes, Champagne Grapes, and MOAB Açai Superfruit Blend™.

Frieda’s invites retailers who are celebrating the Year of Purple to submit photos of their display to Frieda’s Promotions Manager, Alex Jackson at alex.jackson@friedas.com.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Inc. celebrates more than 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic and many more. Frieda’s officially declared 2013 as The Year of Purple. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and www.friedas.com.

Vegetables are no longer just the side show at the grill—they’re taking center stage. And why grill the same ol’ things when you can grill something new? As the grilling season kicks off with Memorial Day, try Frieda’s exciting variety of produce!

In the spirit of our Try This, Not That™ campaign, here’s our “Grill This, Not That” list!

Instead of baked potatoes, parboil the colorful Fingerling Potatoes or Star-Spangled Spuds, brush with olive oil and finish them off on the grill for crackly, crispy skin and smoky flavor. For an extra kick, toss the grilled potatoes with herbs and garlic.

Instead of eggplant, surprise your dinner party with Colored Cauliflower “steaks.” Slice Purple or Orange Cauliflower from top to bottom into “steak” slices, brush with olive oil, and grill.

Instead of Romaine lettuce, put some char on Baby Bok Choy. Traditionally cooked in a stir-fry or soup, these grilled Asian greens are lovely tossed with a touch of vinaigrette.

Instead of big ol’ bell peppers, stuff Mini Sweet Peppers with cream cheese and get them nice and smoky on the grill. That is, if these crunchy, sweet peppers make it past the appetizer tray!

In the “wow the crowd” department, you can always rely on the gorgeous purple Sangria and Fiore Viola Artichokes, and the no-choke Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes. Pre-cook them in a steamer and finish off on the grill.

And finally, no meal is complete without a dessert. No core to deal with, simply peel and slice Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples and place on the grill. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it a day.

Happy grilling!

Purple fruits and vegetables have taken the markets by storm.  Not only do they look great on your plate, they’re also good for you!  The purple pigments are called anthocyanins, a special type of antioxidant. Anthocyanins are being studied for their health benefits and disease-fighting properties, from fighting inflammation to cancer.

Doctor Oz talked about them. ShopSmart spotted them. Food & Wine featured them.

After all, this year is the Year of Purple!

But did you know that many of your favorite vegetables come in purple?  There are Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Fiore Viola Artichokes and Fiesole Baby Purple ones, Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts, Purple Asparagus, Purple Cauliflower, and even Purple Kohlrabi! And don’t forget antioxidant-packed fruits like acai berry, featured in MOAB Superfruit Blends.

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2013) – As shoppers kick off the grilling season with Memorial Day, Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers an exciting variety of produce to put on the grill.

“Vegetables are no longer just the side show at the grill—they’re taking center stage,” said Karen Caplan, Frieda’s President and CEO. “Consumers are adding more vegetables to their meals from appetizers to the main course. We are excited to help them try something new this grilling season.”

The grilling season kicks off on Memorial Day weekend, continues on to Fourth of July, and concludes on Labor Day weekend.

Here are some of Frieda’s featured grilling items that shoppers will be looking for in their favorite retail stores:

Star-Spangled Spuds and Fingerling Potatoes
Parboil the spuds, brush with olive oil, and finish them off on the grill for crackly, crispy skin and smoky flavor. For an extra kick, toss the grilled potatoes with herbs and garlic.

Specialty Artichokes
Purple Sangria and Fiore Viola Artichokes usually steal the grill scene but the no-choke Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes are gaining popularity. Pre-cook in a steamer and finish off on the grill.

Colored Cauliflower
Another “Wow!” factor item. Slice from top to bottom into “steak” slices, brush with olive oil, and grill.

Mini Sweet Peppers
If these crunchy, sweet peppers make it past the appetizer tray, they are addictive stuffed with cream cheese and grilled.

Baby Bok Choy
Traditionally cooked in a stir-fry or soup, these Asian greens are lovely slightly charred on the grill with a touch of vinaigrette.

Sugar Cane Swizzle Sticks
Sharpen one end of the Swizzle Stick and use it as a skewer for pork or seafood to add another layer of flavor and a touch of sweetness.

Zululand Queen Baby Pineapple
No core to deal with, simply peel and slice this miniature fruit and place on the grill. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a perfect dessert.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Inc. celebrates more than 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic and many more. Frieda’s officially declared 2013 as The Year of Purple. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and www.friedas.com.

Listen to the show here. We start at about 7 minute mark and then onto the next section.

Get Neil’s recipe for Roasted Fiesole Baby Purple Artichokes here.