August 1, 2017 – Disrupt, reclaim, take ideas further. ‘Innovate the plate’ was the theme for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA)’s annual Foodservice Conference & Expo this past weekend. From all over the country, nearly two thousand people—attendees, buyers, and exhibitors—converged in downtown Monterey to focus on fresh produce.
PMA CEO Cathy Burns said these shows are designed to shine a spotlight on fresh produce and encourage an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Fresh Ideas Showcase included products like Babé Farms’ Honey Cone Cabbage—winner of the expo’s best new product award; Chef-Ready Bell Peppers that are already cored and seeded; hydroponically-grown greens from Westland Produce; and shelf-stable Fresh Origins’ Herb Crystals that add vibrant color and crunchy texture to dishes.
Mann Packing in Salinas unveiled two new salad blends, calling for a salad revolution. Their RomaBlend™ and Red RomaBlend™ feature the popular Arcadian Harvest® petite mature lettuce leaves. “We’re helping our customers take salads to a whole new level,” said Gina Nucci, Director of Corporate Marketing.
George Henderson of West Pak Avocado, headquartered in Murrieta, California, said that he comes to learn to think about things differently because consumers crave innovation. Gesturing at the table where chef Dominica Catelli, of Catelli’s Restaurant in Geyserville, was serving her Sungold Pulled Pork Sliders, Henderson asked, “Who puts kiwi on a pork slider? That’s cool, right?!”
Catelli’s dish ended up winning the popular vote of the three offerings for the Chef Talks: A Strolling Lunch. Other dishes competing for the honor were Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos with Upland Cress Chimichurri by chef Kyung Carroll of Bon Appétit Google and Grilled Avocado with Superfood Topping by chef Hugh O’Malley of Apio.
Gene Harris of Denny’s Corporation traveled from Spartanburg, South Carolina for his twenty-second conference. For him, this is an opportunity to schedule meetings and consolidate travel plans. “It makes sense for me to come here and see all my vendors in one place,” he said. Harris also said he scheduled a visit to California Giant Berry in Watsonville during the conference. Denny’s is unveiling a few menu items featuring Giant Berry raspberries and blackberries and he wanted to learn more about the berry production from the farmers.
On Friday, the PMA’s Hands-On Fruit & Vegetable Training had attendees learning how to innovate their plates with international flavors. Participating chefs included Jill Overdorf, Eileen Campbell, Dave Woolley, Michael Banks, and locals Todd Fisher and Tony Baker who shared tips on handling and incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into menus. On the menu were radishes, celery, microgreens, mini watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and berries.
During one session, Rick Nahmias described the genesis of his not-for-profit Food Forward. In January 2009, Nahmias was walking through his neighborhood in Valley Glen, California and stumbled upon the concept as he watched squirrels and rats carry away fruit from local trees. He realized there was vast amount of wasted fruit in his own neighborhood that could be a sustainable source of nutrition for the food insecure. What started with an 80 pound backyard harvest of a tangerine tree launched an extensive organization focused on fruitanthropy—that is the harvesting and donation of fruit for humanitarian purposes.
He expanded his model to include farmers’ market recovery in 2012. And two years later added wholesale recovery. All of it grew from his vision to share the abundance. But there’s always room for innovation, embracing partnerships, and pushing the envelope a little bit more. Smog City Brewing Company of Torrance sourced fruit from Food Forward for their Kumquat Saison; Salt & Straw created their Roasted Strawberry and Toasted White Chocolate ice cream with berries from Food Forward. Nahmias urged, “Got fruit? Got time? Get involved.”
“It’s not just a win-win,” said Nahmias. “When you have a creative spark that helps people, it’s a win to the thirtieth power.” Fresh fruits and vegetables left at the end of the weekend event have been donated to the Food Bank for Monterey County.
Nahmias, and the other panelists from the Innovate the Plate? Why Stop There? session, identified themselves as food industry disruptors. Moderator chef Jill Overdorf defined, “Disruptors are innovators. They take existing markets and change the methods.” Servers carried trays of electric lemonade, a libation with sparkling wine, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. When all the glasses were served, Overdorf raised her glass and toasted, “Disruptors. May you know them. May you be them.”
About the author
Camilla M. Mann has crammed a lot of different jobs into four decades: florist, waitress, SCUBA divemaster, stock photo agency manager, stroller fitness teacher, writer, editor, and au pair. But, if she had to distill who she is today – tree-hugging, veggie-crunching, jewelry-designing mean mommy who loves to cook but hates to clean. Thankfully her husband and their boys clean like champs. Her current culinary goal: grow conscientious, creative kids with fearless palates! She blogs at culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com
