Pure Flavor® ‘Sun-dried’ Roma Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 2lbs Pure Flavor® Roma Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Dried thyme leaves

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 250F.
• Place tomato halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and season with salt.  Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Roast in oven until slightly dry, but still juicy; about 4 hours.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
• Store in refrigerator.

Step Two: Epic Make Ahead Apps

Appetizers that can be prepped in advance and used for those surprise visits, or for your holiday parties.

Roasted Aurora Sweets™

Bread and Butter Gourmet Baby™ Pickles

Marinated Marzanito™

Roasted Aurora Sweets™

Ingredients

• 2 3pk Aurora Sweets™ Long Sweet Peppers, washed and dried
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Directions:

• Position oven rack as high as it will go. Preheat oven, set to broil.
• Line Aurora Sweets™ on baking sheet, and place in oven. Rotate to ensure all sides are blackened; about 6 minutes per side.
• Place blackened Aurora Sweets™ in a clean paper bag, and fold the top closed. Keep Aurora Sweets™ in bag for 15 minutes.
• Remove Aurora Sweets™ from the paper bag, and peel the skins with your fingers. Cut tops off, slice in halves and remove seeds.
• In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until browned.  Add Aurora Sweets™, salt and pepper and sauté for 8-10 minutes.
• Let Aurora Sweets™ cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Bread and Butter Gourmet Baby™ Pickles

Ingredients

• 25 Gourmet Baby™ Seedless Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ cup salt
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. mustard seeds
• 1 ½ tsp. celery seed
• ½ tsp. whole cloves
• 1 tbsp. ground turmeric

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix together Gourmet Baby™ slices, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.
• In a large saucepan, mix cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil.
• Drain liquid from Gourmet Baby™ mixture. Stir mixture into the boiling vinegar mixture.  Remove from heat shortly before the combined mixtures return to a boil.
• Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Marinated Marzanito™

Ingredients

• 1 10oz bag Marzanito™
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. dried Italian herbs
• 1 tbsp. dehydrated garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix Marzanito™, olive oil, dried Italian herbs, dehydrated garlic, salt and pepper till evenly coated.
• Store in airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Pure Flavor® Nachos with Aurora Bites™

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs Aurora Bites™ Mini Peppers, washed, deseeded and halved
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 package taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Toppings:
  • 1 Pure Flavor Beefsteak Slicer Tomato, washed and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend
  • 1 cup black olives, sliced
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 cup low-fat sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and ¾ of green onions and stir 1 minute.  Mix in shredded chicken, taco seasoning, water and red pepper flakes.  Stir until evenly covered.  Reduce temperature to low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Arrange sliced Aurora Bites™ Mini Peppers close together in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over the Aurora Bites™ Mini Peppers.  Top with cheese.
• Bake for 7 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• For vegetarian option, substitute chicken with extra-firm tofu, and add a cup of black beans.
• Add chopped herbs like cilantro or coriander for extra flavor.
• For extra crunch, add additional toppings like chopped Pure Flavor® Living Lettuce.

Pure Flavor® Tomato Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 Pure Flavor® Tomatoes on-the-vine, thinly sliced
• 5 slices of cooked bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 200 g mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 tbsp. tomato sauce
• 1 store-made pizza crust
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin Olive oil
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil a 10-inch pizza pan. Lightly grease pizza pan or parchment paper. Place pizza crust on pan.
• Brush remaining olive oil on pizza crust. Evenly sprinkle half the cheese to the crust. Evenly spread tomato sauce on top.
• Add Pure Flavor® Tomatoes on-the-vine, bacon, oregano, cheese on top.
• Bake on lowest rack of oven until crust bottom and edges are browned, about 15 minutes.

YIELD: 1 pizza (10 inches)

Tips: For crispier tomato, soak sliced tomatoes with paper tower and use high broil option for the last 3 minutes of the baking.

Oriental Style Eggplant

Ingredients

• 2 Pure Flavor® Chinese eggplants, sliced diagonally
• 1 Pure Flavor® red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Stir fry garlic in cooking pan with oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add Pure Flavor® Chinese eggplants and continue to stir fry for another minute until slices are coated evenly with garlic and oil.
• Add Pure Flavor® red bell pepper and continue cooking. When eggplant becomes tender, add soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When done, remove from heat and toss lightly with cilantro.

Tips

• Garnish with freshly cut chives and serve with rice

Living Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 1 Boston Living Lettuce™ (desired color), leaves pealed
• 1 Pure Flavor® Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1/3 Onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Miso Sauce
• 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• Over medium heat, add chicken and olive oil to pan. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add Pure Flavor® Bell Pepper, onion and miso sauce to the pan. Stir frequently until everything is cooked and lightly browned.
• To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.

Tips

• For vegetarian option, substitute chicken with Pure Flavor® Baby Eggplants.
• Sprinkle dried noodles on top of lettuce for added crunchiness.
• Make it a fun DIY dish – serve stir fry, lettuce, variety of toppings and sauces separately for your guests to each add their own twist.

Marzanito™ Style Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 1 10oz bag of Marzanito™ mini san marzano style tomatoes, quartered long
• 3 large clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves divided
• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese, crumbled
• 1 medium baguette, halved long
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Combine garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and coat evenly.
• Spread seasoned tomatoes onto bread halves. Garnish with fresh basil and mozzarella­­.