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Jun 12
0

Micro Antioxidants Mix™

By | MicroGreens, Recipes | 568 Comments

micro-antioxidants-mixe284a2

A colorful, attractive mixture of micros with different textures and shapes, our Micro Antioxidants Mix contains micros with the highest levels of antioxidants!  These include: broccoli, cabbage, dill, kale, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, radish, savory and thyme.  This combo boasts fresh flavors of citrus, spicy flavors of radish, intense herb flavors, and hearty flavors of cruciferous veggies.  Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.  They can help to maintain health and prevent diseases such as cancer and heart disease.  Eating these tasty MicroGreens is a fun and simple way to get these crucial vitamins into your body.

Boost your antioxidant intake even more with meals that include berries!  Few fruits have quite the provocative allure, the fragile charm or the nutrients of berries. They’re full of fiber, vitamins and minerals and are loaded with healing antioxidants.

Cranberry & Feta Stuffed Pork with Cranberry Reduction

cranberry-feta-stuffed-pork-with-cranberry-reduction

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix

2-3 lb Pork Roast

2 packages of Dried Cranberries

3 Cups of Red Wine

1 package of Feta

1 can of Chicken Stock

Olive Oil

Butter

Cinnamon

2 cups of Sugar

Salt, Pepper

Cooking Twine

Directions:

For the Pork:

Cut pork roast down the center (not all the way through) to make it into a thinner flat piece.  Add 1 package of cranberries and feta to the center of the meat (like you are making a burrito).  Then take the two side ends and bring them together. Tie up the whole roast with 4 pieces of twine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add olive oil and butter to the top.  Add chicken stock to the bottom of the baking pan.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 to get the top crisp. Then for an additional 45 minutes at 350 or longer depending on your oven.

For the Cranberry Reduction:

In a small saucepan, add 1 package of cranberries, butter, olive oil, sugar, red wine, salt and cinnamon.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until the consistency is thick and the wine is reduced.

When pork is done, slice it and add the cranberry reduction on top.  Serve with a side dish of your choice and garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix!

 

Antioxidant Berry Tart

antioxidant-berry-tart

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Antioxidants Mix

Fresh Blueberries

Fresh Blackberries

Fresh Strawberries

Fresh Raspberries

Mascarpone Cheese

Granulated Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

Small Frozen Tart Crust

1 Egg

Directions:

Put whole blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and granulated sugar, stirring to coat every berry.  In a separate bowl, add berries and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and mash mixture.  Combine mashed mixture with whole berry mixture.  Place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour to let berries macerate.  Mix every 20 minutes or so and add more sugar.  You’ll know they are ready when a thick syrup begins to form.

While waiting, combine mascarpone with Grand Marnier and Sugar and set in refrigerator.

When the berries are almost done, crack an egg and separate the yolk and the whites. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg yolk. (This will give the edges a nice golden brown color when baked). Bake tart crust for 10-12 minutes at a temperature of 450.

When crust is done, let cool for 15 minutes.

While waiting, combine mascarpone mixture with berry mixture.

When crust is room temperature, remove it from its outer baking shell.  Then plate crust and fill the center with the mascarpone and berry mixture.  Add fresh berries to plate, surrounding tart. Garnish tart with fresh berries and Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix.

Apr 11
0

Add Intensity to your dishes!!

By | MicroGreens, PetiteGreens, Recipes | 955 Comments

Try these tasty and easy recipes using Fresh Origins Micro Intensity™ Mix!

Fresh Origins exclusive Micro Intensity™ Mix is a highly flavorful blend of 15 to 20 different tiny herbs and greens. With fresh flavors of citrus, anise and sweet spiciness, this incredible mix will make your taste buds stand up and take notice!

Citrus Chicken Goat Cheese Salad

food-photos-7271

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Micro Intensity™ Mix

Goat Cheese

Mesclun Mix

Cherry Tomatoes

Chicken Breasts

Pecans (candied: brown sugar, butter, olive oil)

Salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ginger

Garlic (1 clove)

Mandarin tangerines

Orange Juice

Avocado

Directions:

Saute Chicken Breasts with olive oil, garlic, orange juice. Season with ginger, salt and pepper.  In a separate small saucepan, saute pecans with olive oil, butter and brown sugar. Slice cherry tomatoes, avocado, & mandarin tangerines.  Plate Mesclun mix and all other ingredients. Crumble goat cheese on top, drizzle olive oil and vinegar.  Garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Intensity™ Mix!

 

Tri-Tip with Tomato Pesto Salad

food-photos-860

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Micro Intensity™ Mix

Tri-tip steaks

Cherry Tomatoes (mixed colors, halved, 1 cup)

Fresh Basil (2 cups)

Garlic (1 clove)

Pine Nuts (1 tablespoon)

Salt, Pepper

Olive Oil (3 tablespoons)

Lemon Juice (2 tablespoons)

Grated Parmesan (2 tablespoons)

Mozzarella Cheese (1/2 cup cubed)

Asparagus

Food Processor

Directions:

Prepare Pesto: combine small pieces of basil leaves, cut up garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Slowly add olive oil & lemon juice while continuing to mix.  Add salt & pepper.

Saute Tri-Tip with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Saute whole asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Slice cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.  Combine with pesto and mix.

Plate asparagus, tri-tip and tomato pesto salad.  Garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Intensity™ Mix.

Dec 11
0

Tis the Season for Rosemary! Happy Holidays!

By | MicroGreens, Recipes | 1,081 Comments

Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops

herb-tops-rosemaryThis attractive evergreen herb boasts numerous needle-like leaves and an incredibly fragrant aroma. Long-lasting and durable, this aroma-therapy herb has a concentrated fresh flavor that compliments a wide variety of foods. Rosemary is not only an aesthetically pleasing garnish, but it is also a fabulous seasoning when cooked with food. Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops have more tender leaves than regular full-sized rosemary. Even without the hard stems our tops still contain a concentrated great flavor!

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and is frequently used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. A member of the mint family, it is high in iron, calcium and Vitamin B6. Rosemary has been said to help the memory and mental focus! Studies suggest that carnosic acid, which is found in rosemary, may shield the brain from free radicals thus lowering the risk of strokes and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s.) Rosemary contains a number of potentially biologically active compounds, including antioxidants such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary)

Here are some of our favorite Rosemary Recipes! Enjoy!

Honey-Mustard Pork Roast With Bacon and Rosemary

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Mustard Dijon
  • 2 tbs whole-grain mustard
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbs Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops
  • 1 (3 1/2 lb)  center-cut boneless, pork loin roast
  • 12 slices bacon (about 1 pound)
  • *Special equipment: kitchen twine.

Directions

  1. Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic and Rosemary and mix together until smooth.
  3. Arrange the pork in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork.
  4. Starting on 1 side, lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon, until the pork is fully covered in bacon.
  5. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, secure the bacon in place.
  6. Roast for 1 hour.
  7. Cover the pan, loosely, with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees F.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board. Cover the pan with foil and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes.
  9. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.
  10. Garnish with Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops.

Rosemary Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken With Wild Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
  • 1 tbs Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste

Wild Mushroom Sauce

  • 1 tbs butter, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1/4 cup chopped shallot
  • 4 ounces morels, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise or 1 ounce dried morel, rehydrated
  • 4 ounces black trumpet mushrooms, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 2 tbs Fresh Origins MicroGreen Chives

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Remove the backbone and wings from the chicken. Press the chicken open like a book. Carefully remove the bones from the chicken leaving the whole chicken intact with the skin.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, rosemary and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mash together.
  4. Turn the chicken over so the skin side is up. Gently loosen the skin by inserting your fingers underneath it to make a pocket. Stuff the rosemary goat cheese under the skin evenly over the breasts and legs. Tuck the skin back over the chicken.
  5. Season both sides of the chicken well with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken and rub well.
  6. Heat oil in sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer when swirled, add the chicken, skin side down. Cook the chicken until the skin side is a deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  7. Carefully turn the chicken over and transfer to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
  8. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
  9. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and return to the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until reduced by 1/3. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and remove from the heat.
  10. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Chives and Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops.

Chicken Cutlets With Spicy White Beans, Kale & Rosemary

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved horizontally (6 oz.)
  • 2 tbs all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 handful Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup kale leaf, sliced
  • 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 tbs Fresh Origins MicroGreen Parsley Italian

Directions

  1. Pound chicken breast halves, one at a time, between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, until each piece of chicken is 1/8-inch thick.
  2. Stir together the 2 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper in a shallow container.
  3. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat.
  4. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking and removing any excess.
  5. Sauté chicken in 2 tablespoons oil in the hot pan until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
  6. Transfer chicken to a warm plate, cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
  7. In the same pan used to cook the chicken, sauté onion in the remaining 2 tablespoon oil over medium heat until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
  8. Stir in the 2 teaspoons flour and Rosemary; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  9. Deglaze the pan with broth, bringing liquid to a boil and cooking until mixture is slightly thickened.
  10. Stir in beans, kale and chili garlic sauce; cook until kale is wilted, 1-2 minutes.
  11. Remove pan from heat; stir in parsley.
  12. Season cannellini and kale with salt and pepper; serve with chicken cutlet.
  13. Garnish with Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops.

Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 2 tsp Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
  • 2 cups champagne or sparkling wine

Directions

  1. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring sugar until it dissolves.
  2. Remove from heat; add Rosemary, let stand 30 minutes.
  3. Strain through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
  4. Pour 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice and 1 tablespoon of rosemary syrup into 4 Champagne flutes or glasses.
  5. Top each serving with 1/2 cup Champagne.
  6. Garnish with Fresh Origins Rosemary Tops.

Recipes from RecipeZaar.com

 

Jun 09
1

Delightful Dining! The Capri Blu Experience

By | MicroGreens, PetiteGreens, Restaurant Reviews | 1,449 Comments

Petite Tangerine Lace™, Scallops, Summer Veggies, Picatta Sauce, Cortani Pasta, Chef James MontejanoPetite Tangerine Lace™

At Capri Blu, executive Chef James Montejano uses fresh ingredients, unique garnishes, and skillful techniques to truly create works of art. The lovely compositions of the dishes excite and entice diners. My family and I came to Capri Blu for lunch,  and we had a very enjoyable experience. I loved the feel of the place, it has an extremely nice ambiance. It is a fine dining restaurant but not overly fancy or pricey, we felt very comfortable there, but still felt like we were in a nice place. The hostess was very welcoming and the waiter was extremely friendly and attentive. Fantastic service!

 

 

 

 

Micro Tangerine Lace™, Lobster Ratatouille, Lemon Basil Fettucini, Port Wine Sauce, Chef James MontejanoMicro Tangerine Lace™

We had heirloom tomato salads, scallops, lobster and pasta. The fresh fish was mouthwatering and cooked to perfection. These flavorful dishes looked beautiful, and the presentations were enhanced by attractiveMicroGreens from Fresh Origins Farm. James is not only a very talented chef, but also really friendly and personable. He came out of the kitchen to talk to us and other customers to make sure we were enjoying our experience there. He definitely cares about his diners and the food that he serves. We were also very fortunate that he let us have a  small food photoshoot, since they use our products. I highly recommend this place!!

 

 

 

 

 

Petite Stevia™

 

Petite Stevia™, 3 Way, Pistachio Ice Cream Sandwich, Peppered Strawberries with Balsamic and Petite Stevia™, Petite Stevia™ Coconut Milkshake, Chef James Montejano

The wine is also fantastic! There are over 200 wines that have been carefully selected from distinguished wineries from around the world that find their place in Capri Blu’s wine cellar. From Spanish to Italian, from South American to Australian, there will be a perfect wine for you, that will pair fantastically with the beautiful flavorful dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

Capri Blu Italian Bistro & Wine Bar
10436 Craftsman Way – San Diego, CA 92127
4S Commons Town Center
858.673.5100 f: 858.673.5119

www.capri-blu.com

OPEN DAILY
LUNCH Mon-Sat 11am-2:30pm
DINNER Sun-Wed 5pm-9pm
Thur-Sat 5pm-11pm
BRUNCH Sat, Sun 10:30am-2:30pm

 

 

Mar 29
0

Fresh Origins March Tours: Connecting with the Crowd

By | Edible Flowers, Events, Herb & Flower Crystals™, MicroGreens | 782 Comments

Our 4-week trade show tour through New York, Anaheim, and Las Vegas was a complete success. At each show, we exhibited our new Microgreens and Edible Flowers in our booth, and demonstrated our newest varieties of Herb Crystals™ and Flower Crystals™ with new Fresh Origins recipes. We connected with our new and current customers, and got to be part of the biggest, most entertaining food conventions we’ve ever seen.

“What’s the latest new Fresh Origin product?” our booth visitors asked. This year our Basil, Fennel, Rose, and Mint Herb Crystals™ & Flower Crystals™ took center stage as our featured items. And we had a brand new flavor to show off: Lime crystals. These were a big hit at the Nightclub and Bar Show especially.

Any drink is better with fresh Microgreens & Edible flowers!

The Nightclub and Bar Show, held in Las Vegas, was designed to feel like a popular nightclub: loud music, club lighting, exotic dancers, and ice sculptures with liquor pouring through. Talk about entertaining!

We received great reactions from­ mixologists and bar owners. Many of them had never seen cocktail glasses rimmed with anything like our fresh Herb and Flower Crystals. We caught everyone’s attention with the bright colors of our rimming crystals and drinks garnished with fresh Flowers and Microgreens. 

Kelly Sasuga with our Booth Display

Mixologists are always looking for new cocktail ideas, and ways to reinvent their old ones. Our booth visitors were immediately drawn to the Herb & Flower Crystal’s crunchy texture, their pure, intense flavors and naturally vibrant colors. We enjoyed demonstrating our lime crystals for the first time. These tangy bright green crystals were a hit with bartenders & mixologists — they’re perfect for margaritas!

We brought extra Herb & Flower Crystals to share with other people demonstrating their own products. It was great to see people adding the crystals to their own drink samples – and it gave more people a taste of our bright flavors.

Microgreens and Edible Flowers are a hit with Natural Food Retailers

We brought our fresh Microgreens and Edible Flowers to the Natural Products Show for the first time. The show was the total opposite of the Nightclub and Bar Show, with its emphasis on health and wellness. It was also amazing to see the huge Anaheim Convention Center jam-packed, inside and out – at least 60,000 people attended the expo.

This year, we’re committed to getting our Microgreens, Edible Flowers and Herb and Flower Crystals to the retail customer, so it was great to meet retail distributors and buyers for specialty food stores. People who already knew us were surprised to see us attending this show, and excited to view and sample our new products. We also introduced our new retail organic line of Microgreens and Edible Flowers!

We’re used to mingling with restaurant owners and chefs, so we were excited to speak to a different crowd. Most of the people walking around were very health-conscious. They’re interested in discovering what the latest new healthy foods are, and luckily they found us in the “New Hot Products” area.

Pulmuone USA Booth using our products

We talked with some sponsored athletes – bodybuilders and triathletes – who asked us questions like, “What are the health benefits and the nutritional advantage microgreens have that regular veggies don’t?” Many people, of course, claim that microgreens contain more vitamins and antioxidants than their mature counterparts – but we personally don’t know for sure. What we do know is that microgreens taste terrific and are very healthy.

Each conversation gave us priceless feedback, and we would like to thank everyone who visited our booth. There’s nothing like making new contacts and friendly connections!

 

Apr 12
0

Kelly Sasuga Talks up Our Herb & Flower Crystals on TV!

By | Edible Flowers, Events, Herb & Flower Crystals™, MicroGreens | 2,018 Comments

Kelly Sasuga, our research and development Chef, made the news at the Nightclub and Bar Show.  Kelly was interviewed by a new Spanish-language TV show and magazine, Cocktail Aficianado, owned by the well-regarded Cigar Aficianado.

The new venture was seeking the coolest products to feature in its launch. Kelly had the opportunity to talk about the company and our products for cocktails, including mini Herb & Flower Crystals™ glass rimmers, MicroFlowers, Buzz Buttons and our Tiny Veggies.

The show has not aired yet, so stay tuned and we’ll share Kelly’s interview on this blog as soon as the video clip is available.

Apr 29
0

Chef Kelly Sasuga of Fresh Origins: Competition with a Daring Dish

By | Events, MicroGreens | 1,559 Comments

During last month’s trade show tour, our R&D Chef Kelly Sasuga represented Fresh Origins in one of the toughest, most prestigious culinary competitions in the United States. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) hosted the 2013 Catersource ACF Culinary Challenge, it brought together the nation’s most talented chefs to compete in a variety of cooking, decorating and carving competitions – awarding medals and certifications.

Spoiler alert!

Kelly won her K1-Duck category impressing the judges with her asian style, Miso Glazed Duck Breast, Chinese Hand-pulled Noodle Stir Fry with Veggies, Smoked Duck Egg Roll, Kumquat Chili Gastrique, and Fresh Origins Micro Shiso. She received the ACF-Silver medal accumulating the highest score in her category!

When it came time to cook, the judges and audience watching were really impressed with how Kelly she moved and conducted herself in the kitchen. The judges especially, were astonished to see someone hand-pull noodles during a hot food competition. It was a risky task and the they knew it.


Chef Kelly Makes Practice Perfect with Noodles

Months prior to the competition, Kelly spent hours on hours practicing twice a week at the San Diego Culinary Institute, who sponsors the competition team. On top of that, she was able to commit extra time every day for two months, perfecting the hand-pulled noodle technique at home.

Requiring a certain level of finesse and applied muscle memory, unbraiding hand-pulled noodles is a very old and difficult technique that requires a lot of patience and practice. In the position of having to teach herself, Kelly mimicked videos of other chefs that were experts in executing the chinese art form. She had done her research. She even went to Martin Yan’s restaurant in SF, MY China to watch them make hand pulled noodles, and met the Master Chef himself! He was very friendly and briefly explained to her how the process worked as she watched Executive Chef Tony Wu masterfully pull these wonderful noodles. It’s really an exciting thing to watch.

Along the way, through timed trial and error, she found out what worked for her. She was able exploit the small details needed on her own, things like using the exact ratio of water to flour when creating the consistency of the dough – it needs to be perfect in order to pull noodles from it.

ACF Rules and Culinary Standards

Unlike most competitions where individuals compete against each other, here chefs compete against a strict culinary standard. Each competitor is judged and awarded points not only the taste of their dish but everything they do in the kitchen from: organization, sanitation, creativity, portion size, cooking skills and techniques, how they utilized their time, ingredients, flavors, textures, and presentation. Their allotted time is 15 minutes to setup, 60 minutes to cook, 10 additional minutes for plating and 15 minutes for clean up.

The Final Results

Since her part was over, cooking phases done, kitchen cleaned, and dishes received, the judges gave her an invaluable review. In fact, one of the judges came to shake her hand afterwards, applauded her on the obvious hard work she displayed and praised on her bold decision to use hand-pulled noodles in her dish. A couple of them also offered her a job! The end result was surreal, all Kelly’s feelings of anxiousness and nervousness subsided, she knew that all her hard work had paid off.

Her first time culinary challenge was finally over and with great success, now all she could do was think of what she could do for the next one!

Her next scheduled challenge is the 2013 ACF Culinary Salon Competition at the Le Cordon Bleu in Seattle, Washington on May 4th. We love showing our support to all chefs competing, so if you’re going to be attending or competing in the event, let us know!

Jun 11
0

Fresh Origins Receives Perfect Scores in Agricultural and Manufacturing Practices for Second Consecutive Year

By | Edible Flowers, MicroGreens | 1,289 Comments

ImageOutstanding Compliance in Greenhouse Operations, Harvest Crew & Packing House

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – February 21, 2013 – Fresh Origins, America’s leading producer of MicroGreens and Edible Flowers, has received for the second consecutive year a perfect score of 100% in their annual third party food safety audit by Primus Labs in the areas of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Fresh Origins is third-party certified for food safety in three main areas of food handling: Greenhouse Production, Harvest Crew and Packing House operations, with separate audits and certificates of compliance in each one. A 100% in each of these areas is seldom achieved. Prior years’ scores have been Superior ratings in the very high 90’s.

Fresh Origins is also a proud member in good standing of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA). As a member, they are subject to the rigorous standards and mandatory random field audits by USDA State and Federally-authorized licensed inspectors. Fresh Origins is among the smallest of all farms audited by Primus and LGMA. The average is estimated to be over 1,500-2,000 acres compared to Fresh Origin’s 24. 

 “Our family farm is very serious about food safety. This is a discipline and priority that we instill in each member of our team,” says David Sasuga, founder of Fresh Origins. “We are proud to be an example of a small farm that is recognized for excellence in food safety compliance. There is really no reason that small farms shouldn’t be held accountable for the safety of their products.”

Fresh Origins products are available to professional fine dining foodservice venues through specialty produce/food distributors nationwide. In 2013, Fresh Origins will be also partnering with U.S. retailers to offer select products for home cooks to enjoy as well. Visit www.freshorigins.com for more information, photos and recipes, and find us brand on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Jun 19
0

Celebrating Colorful Crunchy Crystals – How Chefs & Mixologists are using our Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals®

By | Edible Flowers, Herb & Flower Crystals™, MicroGreens, Recipes | 935 Comments

Herb & Flower Crystals Bottles Group

Since its arrival earlier this year, our Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals® line has been very well-received by the culinary community, and their responses are quite humbling. We hear from chefs and home cooks alike that they absolutely love the exotic look these crystals convey and that it has been such a unique and flavorful ingredient to include in their dishes. Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini says, “I love the basil crystals, not only for their vibrant flavor but also for the unique texture they impart to my desserts.”

Branching out to the bar scene as well, our Mini Herb Crystals® & Mini Flower Crystals® also got a loud response from cocktail connoisseurs and mixologists.

Feeling like proud parents, we wanted to show off some cool examples of how our customers have enhanced their creations by using our Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals®, and to debut a few new flavors coming out in a few weeks!

Cocktails and Mini Herb Crystals® & Mini Flower Crystals® – A Perfect Pair

Our March trade show tour was where we really got to show off our stuff to mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts. There we realized that our Mini Herb Crystals® & Mini Flower Crystals® were an immediate hit. Everyone’s eyes were pulled in when we brought out our large display of cocktail glasses rimmed with the different flavors.

The vibrant colors drew their attention but it was after sharing a few tasting samples, when we watched everyone’s faces light up. They were captivated by the crystal’s fresh flavors. Many exclaimed, “Wow, they actually taste like fresh Basil or fresh Mint!” They were also intrigued to see a different substitute for plain white sugar for adding a unique sweetness to any drink, including tea.

The Mini Crystals® are a smaller, more granular than the regular Crystals, making them more adhesive and ideal for rimming cocktail glasses. Instinctively, we invited mixologists to take their creations to the next level and combine our Microgreens, Edible flowers, and Mini Herb Crystals® & Mini Flower Crystals® into their next cocktail concoction!

Check out Mixologists like Junior Merino with his The Big Apple cocktail. Rimming his cocktail with Herb Crystals® Fennel, and garnishing with our Apple Mint Tops. Check out his recipe:

Big Apple Cocktail with Mint Apple Tops & Herb Crystals Fennel Rim by Junior Merino

2 oz Hudson Whiskey

1/2 oz grilled apple juice

1/2 oz cinnamon syrup

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1/4 oz Xtabentun Mayan Liqueur

1 dash of Junior Merino Roasted Apple & Toasted Spices Bitters

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and strain into a rocks glass rimmed with Fresh Origins Flower Crystals® Fennel and garnish with a Fresh Origins Apple Mint top.

The high praise and overall review by our mixologist, bartender, and cocktail-lover friends, was more than we could ever ask for. Thank you!

Herb Crystals®, Flower Crystals® & Chocolate! Oh my!

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Its a no-brainer. Our Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals® make a pretty sweet addition to any chocolate treat. So if you’re a sucker for a box of chocolates or you know of one, check out The Madison Chocolatier West. They are beautifully coating their strawberries with white and dark chocolate and then covering with our Crystals and Crystallized Flowers! These fancy strawberries are not like any regular chocolate covered strawberry you see at the market. They have also put our Crystals on the inside of their chocolate ganache truffles. What a burst of flavor in your mouth. And the Crystals stay crunchy!

They create small batch chocolates, all hand made using the freshest fruits, herbs, spices and ingredients that have no preservatives added. Each ingredient provides unique flavor pairings for exceptional chocolates. Check out their photos here,

Topping New York’s Cronut Craze

Or if pastries suit your fancy, we would like to introduce you to the Cronut. If you haven’t heard of it yet, the Cronut is literally half-croissant, half-doughnut – yes they do exist!

After a few tries, its’ creator French pastry chef Dominique Ansel of Dominique Ansel Bakery, found the winning formula and successfully infused the French classic into a shape of a doughnut. Consisting of layers on layers of flaky-goodness, each Cronut is deep fried in grapeseed oil (like a doughnut), filled with Tahitian vanilla cream, rolled in cinnamon sugar, topped over with a sweet glaze, finished with sprinkle of our Flower Crystals® Rose. Each Cronut runs at $5 a piece and all customers are limited to six per person.

Despite being around for only a month, this pastry delicacy has already made a name for itself. So, we highly recommend you try it out if you’re in the area and make sure to order beforehand or get there early – really early. Watch Zagat’s Bizarre Bites coverage on the Cronut below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vswiimBEvCk?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]

Congratulations to pastry chef Dominique Ansel and his revolutionary pastry skills! The world is a better place, now that you’ve created such a pastry gem.

New Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals® Flavors

Chili-Lime Shrimp, Mango Salsa, Cilantro Rice

Herb Crystals®Cilantro on Chili-Lime Shrimp, with Mango Salsa & Cilantro Rice

We’re very excited announce a new flavor to add to the mix this week: Herb Crystals® Cilantro. It has an amazingly fresh & sweet Cilantro flavor. In a couple weeks we will be introducing Fruit Crystals® Lime and Herb Crystals® Hibiscus. We hope you all enjoy these just like the first batch. Let us know about your experience with our Herb Crystals® & Flower Crystals®. We would greatly appreciate your feedback and would love share your success story with the world!

Jul 22
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Fresh from the Harvest: What’s new at Fresh Origins this Summer!

By | Edible Flowers, MicroGreens | 2,372 Comments

Coming straight from the farm, this summer season we’ve got an exciting assortment of culinary wonders you’ll definitely want to get your hands on. Our Sansho (Szechuan) Peppercorns, Tiny Veggies™ Asian Cucumber with Flower, Flower Rose Little Red Corvette are freshly cut and ready to enhance your dishes!

Each ingredient has their own unique qualities, especially in taste. So read below, we’ve described not only the flavor effects each product has on the tastebuds, but also some insight on how to use them with your next dish.

Sansho (Szechuan) Peppercorns

ImageUsually used as a dried product, Sansho Peppercorn is commonly found in Asian cuisines and is sold in small bunches.

The taste and mouth effects are intense. With slight lemony citrus overtones, they create a tingly numbness in the mouth. The sensation is similar to the one you get when you try our Buzz Buttons, which sets the stage for spicy foods.

Go ahead and enhance the look of your plates by using the entire bunch to add height or use the individual pieces to sprinkle on salads and stir fries.

This product will only be available for the next couple of weeks, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested!

Tiny Veggies™ Asian Cucumber with Flower

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These beauties are bright yellow flowers which are attached to small, thin & tender cucumbers. Providing that fresh crunchy cucumber flavor, you can simply add this to mixed green salads, topped on seafood, use on an crudite platter or you can garnish a cucumber flavored cocktail or cucumber water drink.

Flower Rose Little Red Corvette

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Add romance to your signature cocktail and green salads with our Little Red Corvette Rose Flowers. Their vibrant, flashy red petals pack in a mildly sweet floral flavor, accompanied with  a light, mild rose fragrance. Perfect for small enough to top cupcakes and other desserts, you can combine a few to make a tiny bouquet!

Did we mention that they were also compact in size? Very easy to ship!

And don’t forget our other new items, introduced earlier this month: Begonia Angelwing Leaf and Peanut Leaf. Begonia Angelwing’s tart citrus flavor makes it a wonderful bed for fish. Peanut Leaf’s delicious nutty taste is a great, fresh addition to stir-fry and other Asian cuisine. Not they are not actually related to peanuts, so no nut allergies here!

So whether you are in need for that perfect spice to garnish your next entree or just looking for fresh new ingredients this summer to experiment with, come and try it out!  Come and check us out at the PMA’s Foodservice Trade Show, July 28th, we’ll be at booth # 27, sharing our most innovative products and some food samples showing their use.