Heritage Premium Dried Fruits and Nuts (USA) + Recipes

There’s a new brand of premium dried fruits and nuts from the USA available in the market. Heritage Premium Dried Fruits and Nuts have no preservatives added, they are nitrogen-flushed, and are machine-packed for freshness and quality.

HERITAGE DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS

Last week, we attended the launch of Heritage dried fruits and nuts, and enjoyed dishes prepared using Heritage products. Chef Jo Gosiaco demonstrated how to make the various dishes. I’ll share her recipes below.

Cranberry Drink

Pumpkin Carrot Soup with Slivered Almonds

Herb Pistachio Pesto Pasta, Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Slaw, and for dessert, Bread Pudding with Dried Fruits and Nuts:

I liked all of them, especially the pasta! It’s delicious but also packed with health benefits from pistachios, mint, parsley, basil, garlic and olive oil. The recipe is below if you want to try it at home.

The dried fruits and nuts are produced in sunny California. They are exported to Heritage Snacks & Food Co. in Thailand, where they are processed and packed, ready to be shipped to the rest of the world.

Ralph Bean, Agricultural Counselor at the U.S Department of Agriculture (FAS) from the US Embassy was there and he talked about the premium quality of these California produce.

Heritage products are distributed by Heritage TPH Ventures, Inc. and Goodway Int’l Trading Corp. You can call them at (632) 633-6920 / 725-4758, or email [email protected]. Heritage Premium products are available at leading supermarkets.

PRICING: To give you an idea of the price, the 200g pack of sliced almonds are around P270, the 454g walnuts are priced around P540, the 500g dried cranberries are around P300, the 500g raisins are around P140.

HERITAGE DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS RECIPES

As promised, here are the recipes so you can try them at home:

Pumpkin Carrot Soup with Slivered Almonds

Vegetable Stock Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 white onions, quartered
• 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk of leek, white part only, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp light brandy or white wine
• 8 cups water
• 1 bayleaf
• 1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 3 parsley (stalks only)
• 3 basil (stalks only)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat pan then add oil. Sauté onions, celery, carrot, garlic, and leek for a few minutes on medium heat. Take care not to brown the vegetables.
2. Add the brandy and cook off the alcohol.
3. Once the alcohol is cooked off, add water, herbs and peppercorns.
4. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes uncovered.
5. Remove from heat and strain. Let it cool.

Ingredients of the soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 white onions, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 4 cups diced pumpkin
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp light brandy or white wine
• ½ cup slivered almond, blanched
• 4-5 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of grated nutmeg

Method:

1. Heat pan then add oil. Sauté onions, and garlic on medium heat. Add pumpkin, carrot, and almonds. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables sweat. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
2. Add the brandy and cook off the alcohol.
3. Once the alcohol is cooked off, add stock and gently simmer for 25-30 minutes covered.
4. Remove from heat and strain. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Using a food processor or blender, puree the vegetables with the stock in batches.
5. Return the puree to the pan then. Add a pinch of grated nutmeg and season to taste. If the consistency is too thick, add a ladle of vegetable stock.

Herb Pistachio Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Heritage pistachio, toasted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup tightly packed mint leaves
• 1/2 cup tightly packed packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup tightly packed fresh basil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1/2  to 3/4 cup  parmesan powder (depending on your preference)
• 1/4  cup olive oil
• A few tbsp of water
• Salt and pepper
• Pasta of your choice

Method:

1. In a food processor, pulse walnuts with garlic until coarsely ground. Add watercress, basil, parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. With motor running, add oil in thin steady stream until smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper. For the consistency of the pesto, you can adjust it by adding oil or water depending on your preference. Cook pasta. Drain; then toss with homemade pesto. Garnish then serve. You can serve this with grilled shrimp or chicken on top.

Chef’s Note: The pesto can also be used as marinade for chicken or seafood, garnish for soups, dips for breads, and sauce base for salads, pizzas, burgers, or sandwiches.

Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Slaw

Ingredients for Cranberry Jam:

• 1 Cup Heritage Dried Cranberry, rehydrated and chopped
• 1 Cup White sugar
• 2 Star Anise
• 3 Cardamom Pods (optional)
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 6 Tbsp Water

Method:

1. Melt sugar in a pan. Add star anise, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. Wait until the sugar caramelized.
2. Add the dried cranberries, apple, and 3 Tbsp water. Simmer for 6 minutes covered.
3. Add 3 Tbsp water and simmer uncovered. Stir once in a while. (If the cranberry still needs a little more cooking time, add a few tablespoons of water.
4. Discard the star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon stick from the jam and coarsely blend the mixture using a hand blender. Let it cool.

Ingredients for Turkey Sandwich:

• 6 Slices of whole wheat bread or sourdough bread, toasted
• Softened butter
• Sliced tomato
• 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Cranberry Jam
• 1 cup shredded red and green cabbage (combined)
• Sliced Turkey
• Brie Cheese, sliced

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix yogurt, cranberry jam, and shredded cabbage. Set aside.
2. Butter 4 slices of toast on one side. On two bread slices, place the cranberry slaw, then the sliced tomatoes, then the turkey slices, then add the brie cheese last. Use the other two slices of bread to cover the sandwich. Slice in half. Serve.

Bread Pudding with Dried Fruits and Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 day old challah bread or loaf bread, cubed into 1” chunks
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp rhum / light brandy
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp dried raisin
• 3 tbsp dried cranberries
• ¼ cup toasted walnut, chopped
• 1 tbsp Powdered sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
• Extra butter to grease the pan
• Vanilla Ice cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 350 deg F. Grease a 9 x13 baking ban using butter. Coat all sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix together milk and bread. Make sure all the bread are soaked in the milk.
3. In a different bowl, mix together melted butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, rhum, walnut, nutmeg, cinnamon, raisin, and cranberries together. Add to bread mixture. Gently stir to combine ingredients.
4. Pour bread mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 deg F for 45 minutes, until the liquid has set. The pudding is done when the edges start to turn brown.
5. Once done, remove from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack.
6. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Lightly dust the top of the pudding with sugar mixture.
7. Slice then serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.