Just Picked

Highlights from our "Meet the Winemaker" Dinner Featuring Milbrandt Vineyards

Every so often we are fortunate enough to have winemakers come and co-host our Wine Dinners here at the Milton store. Attendees can nosh on four courses of amazing food and sample terrific wines, all while they learn about how the wine is cultivated, vinted and bottled. Last Thursday night we were joined by Joshua Maloney, Director of Winemaking at Milbrandt Vineyards in Washington State. In the past decade, Washington State has emerged as one of the premier winemaking regions in the U.S. I think that the happy people at our dinner would agree that the decadent reds and refreshing, elegant whites that they sampled from Milbrandt Vineyards are proof positive that Washington State wines are a force to be reckoned with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The menu, developed by our own Wine Buyer and CIA graduate, Tim Paulus, was tailor made to highlight the featured wines from Milbrandt Vineyards. Guests started the evening by sampling the Traditions Riesling, paired with a Creamy Pear Soup garnished with Crème Fraiche, French Tarragon and a Parmesan Crisp. For the second course, attendees sipped on Traditions Pinot Gris and the Brothers Red Blend, both of which worked perfectly with the Crispy Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Peach Pizza with Arugula and Honey. Traditional Penne Bolognese was the main course, joined by two delicious reds: the Traditions Cabernet and Estates Cabernet.

 

 

 

 

Our ace team of servers assist to ladle out and carefully garnish the Pear Soup.

 

 

 

 

 

The Penne Bolognese garnished with shaved Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, dessert was the stunning and potent Late Harvest Riesling Ice Wine, which was not to be outdone by its companion: a “Drunken” Apple Cupcake with Riesling Buttercream Frosting, garnished with a single leaf of deep fried basil.  On their way out the door guests gushed about the cupcakes, the warm and welcoming service and of course, the wine.

 

 

The cupcake: pretty and pretty delcious.

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who came out for another great Wine Dinner! We’re looking forward to welcoming back Clay Fritz of Fritz Winery on Thursday night May 24^th. Contact Mike Dwyer at the Milton Store to sign up (617) 696-5274. Hurry! Spots are quickly filling up.

Last Minute Gift Ideas - Stocking Stuffers

Who enjoys the last minute hunt for stocking stuffers?  These are some of the most fun gifts to give (and yes - get!).  We still have plenty of great items that are perfect for the stockings.

You can't go wrong with chocolate and candy.  We've got so many different varieties, some from local New England companies such as Taza, Equal Exchange, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates and Lake Champlain.

 
 
 
 

And we have our own line of Fruit Center chocolate bars

 

Here's a couple ideas for the kids - our friends at Ginger Betty's have a Make-Your-Own Gingerbread Man kit that includes a large gingerbread man cookie, frosting and plenty of candy to stick on the cookie.

 

We also have our own hand-dipped caramel apples

 

For wine lovers, we have half-bottles of great wine and wine accessories

 
 
 

New Items: Hildon, Nicky's, Falafel Republic and our own chocolate

Hildon Mineral Water

Until recently, you could only enjoy this English mineral water at a particular Boston restaurant (the restaurant that sells "seafood legally", wink, wink). Available in both still and sparkling varieties, Hildon is extremely proud of their product, including their glass bottle design - there's a whole page on their web site devoted to it. That's not a knock - it just goes to show the level of detail this company puts into it's product. And it's certainly reflected in their water.

Nicky's Dipping Oil

For all it's mystique and contributions to New England culture, you don't always think of Martha's Vineyard as a source of great food products. Here's one that will change that perception. From Vineyard Haven's Nicky's Italian Cafe come Nicky's Dipping Oils, a line of flavored oils that will add bursts of flavor to any number of dishes, not to mention a simple piece of dipping bread. Look for four varieties: Classic Italian Herb, Zesty Lemon, Piccante and Nero's Revenge.

Falafel Republic

Another local product from right down the road in Needham, MA, is this Middle-Eastern staple. Falafel Republic crafts fresh falafel with a simple list of ingredients. And their products are gluten-free, dairy-free and have no trans-fats.

Fruit Center's Own Chocolate Bars

After much investigation, and loads of sampling, we finally found a chocolate bar that was worthy to put our name on. Introducing the Fruit Center's own chocolate bars in both milk and dark varieties. They passed our rigorous inspection, so we hope you enjoy them too.  Let us know what you think by commenting here.

New Item: Hallowed Herbs Scones

Tea is riding a huge wave of positive press these days. You're probably aware of all the health benefits associated with drinking tea. You may also have heard that there seems to be a revival of tea houses, those quaint cafes steeped in tea culture and offering small pastries and light bites. Our friend Lisa Tavakoli has had some success with her own tea house, Hallowed Herbs, based in Quincy.

Not only is Lisa a tea fanatic, but she also knows her way around the kitchen. Case in point: her delicious home-baked scones. Fresh, moist and flavorful, these scones are perfect with your morning coffee, as a midday snack or, of course, with a cup of tea. Look for Blueberry Coconut, Cranberry Walnut and Currant Orange in our gourmet bakery section.

New Item: Homemade Caramel Apples

Say what you will about the continuing dip into cooler weather, but there are some things about fall that everyone looks forward to. Fortunately for us most of those things involve food. Warm apple crisp, fresh cranberries and a wide variety of winter squash are just some of those autumn items that get us excited for the season.

Another of those seasonal treats is caramel apples. Rich, buttery caramel and sweet, crisp apples are a magical combination. We just started dipping our own caramel apples in both our Milton and Hingham stores. Just this morning, Sandy and Lisa were hard at work preparing a new batch (pictured here). Get them before the season is over.   

Salad Improvement Plan - Mixed Greens with Oranges and Citrus Dressing

For our final Salad Improvement Plan recipe, we're once again featuring a recipe from Betsy, our demonstration coordinator in our Hingham location.

Mixed Greens with Oranges and Citrus Dressing

For the salad

Your choice of three or more of the following: mache, baby spinach, radicchio and frisee - enough to fill a large serving bowl

2 large oranges

1/2 a red onion

For the dressing

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Wash greens. Dry with paper towels and remove any tough stems. Chop any large leaves. Place all greens into a large serving bowl. Take oranges and slice off top and bottom with a sharp knife. Remove peel. Carefully slice between membranes to remove individual segments. Add to serving bowl. Finely chop onion and add to serving bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad just before serving.

Salad Improvement Plan - Marketplace Cafe Oriental Salad

At the Milton Marketplace, where our Milton Fruit Center is located, there is a second floor which is home to some charming shops: The Nutshell (children's clothing), The Toy Chest, Earthly Posessions (antiques and unique home decorations), The Gift Garden and The Snow Goose (yarn and knitting accessories). You'll also find our restaurant, Marketplace Cafe. After many years as A Lighter Fare we relaunched the restaurant in March as Marketplace Cafe. If you haven't visited yet, you'll find some exciting new menu items and breakfast is now available all day. Check out the breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch menus.

Helping us out with our Salad Improvement Plan, the Marketplace Cafe's wonderfully talented chef, Lisa Differ, is sharing one of the salad recipes that she sometimes features in the Cafe. 

Marketplace Cafe Oriental Salad

One head of Romaine lettuce, chopped

One head of Nappa cabbage, chopped

Five scallions, green parts only, chopped

3oz. sesame seeds

3oz. slivered almonds

1/4 cup butter

1 package of Ramen noodles, crushed (discard the seasoning packet)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Combine the chopped Romaine, cabbage and scallions in a bowl and set aside. Combine the sesame seeds, almonds, butter and Ramen noodles in a pan and saute over medium-high heat until browned. Set aside to cool. In a separate pan combine the sugar, oil, red wine vinegar and soy sauce. Heat until warm, then side aside to cool. Just before serving, combine the greens, noodle mixture and liquid mixture. Toss to fully combine all ingredients. You can top with pineapple chunks, Mandarin oranges or water chestnuts.

Salad Improvement Plan - Rita Z's Spinach Salad

Talent runs deep here at the Fruit Center. So many of our employees love to cook and create their own dishes. Today's recipe is Rita Z's Spinach Salad which is a specialty of our front end supervisor Rita Z. It's also one of the salads we offer as a party platter and you'll occasionally find it on our salad bar.

Rita Z's Spinach Salad

1 5-6 oz. package of baby spinach

1/3 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Toss all ingredients together and dress with either a zinfandel or raspberry vinaigrette.

Salad Improvement Plan: Tina's Autumn Salad

The Fruit Center's Tina Garron not only runs the salad bar in both of our stores, but she's also quite talented when it comes to creating salads. Here is one of the salads that Tina sometimes features on the salad bar:

Tina's Autumn Salad

1 package romaine lettuce

1/2 bunch of watercress

4 oz. blue cheese (more or less to taste)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 Red Delicious apple

Dressing:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 Tbsp. fresh dill

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup olive oil

Chop romaine and place in a bowl. Add the watercress, blue cheese and walnuts. Cut the apple into slices or smaller pieces and add to bowl. Gently toss. For dressing, mix all dressing ingredients in a seperate bowl. Once fully mixed drizzle onto salad to taste. Serve immediately.

Mad Platters

When you work with some of the most unique and tasty food items all day, you can't help but become inspired. There's an intrinsic beauty in many food items that, when combined with just the right amount of imagination and creative spark, come alive on a plate or, in this case, a platter.

The other day Sandy, our Milton gourmet manager, was asked to create a dessert tray and an hors d'oeuvre tray. We offer dessert trays but this customer wanted to "order off the menu". We had never done an hors d'oeuvre tray before but Sandy was up for the challenge. Pictured here are the results of Sandy's efforts.

The dessert tray included Sweet Tooth Bakery cookies (from South Boston), Roberts' Roost mini cupcakes (from Marshfield), brownie bites and fresh strawberries.

The hors d'oeuvre tray featured cocktail rye bread with Allouette Garlic & Herb spread, cucumbers and black olives. The center features fresh hummus cupped in red cabbage leaves and the tray is accented with grape tomatoes.

If you're interested in ordering either of these trays, just tell Sandy you saw them on our blog.