How To Use...
TRAINA FOODS CALIFORNIA SUN DRIED APRICOTS
A versatile delicacy... An extraordinary ingredient
Around the turn of the century, when farmers from the Mediterranean region emigrated to California's lush San Joaquin Valley and saw the rich land, they knew they could grow produce here reminiscent of the richly flavored fruit of their homelands.
Their dream was to grow the finest varieties of fruits and vegetables that were cultivated over many centuries in the Mediterranean region, and then to use the wondrous California sun as a way of concentrating the fresh flavors for year-round use.
Soon apricot orchards blossomed, producing plump juicy fruit kissed by the sun and full of goodness. These beautiful apricots were placed on redwood trays to dry slowly, naturally under the California sun retaining the exquisite flavor of a perfect apricot. The Traina family still produces sun dried apricots the same way, and uses them in hundreds of recipes collected over decades.
Ideas using Sun Dried Apricots for all Segments of the Menu
Appetizers
•Smoked salmon, sun dried apricot chutney on rye appetizers
•Sun dried apricot chicken salad pita snacks
•Sun dried apricot-gorgonzola appetizers
•Baked brie topped with sun dried apricots and almonds, wrapped in puff pastry
•Sun dried apricot, walnut, turkey tea sandwiches
•Swedish apricot fruit soup flecked with sun dried apricots
•Orange juice infused sun dried apricots topped with goat cheese
•Assorted cheese arranged with dark chocolate, sun dried apricots and crackers
•Pretzel, chex party mix with sun dried apricots
•Garlic, thyme, red pepper roasted almonds and sun dried apricots
•Cream cheese, blue crumbles and diced apricots on rye rounds
Side dishes
•Couscous with sun dried diced apricots, slivered toasted almonds and chives
•Eastern European dumplings with sun dried apricots and sweet farmer's cheese
•Wild rice pilaf with sun dried apricots and dried cherries
•Browned butter enhanced bulgur with sun dried apricots and toasted almonds
•Sweet cream sun dried apricot fruited barley
•Brown sugar, sun dried apricot sweet potato casserole
•Baby carrots sautéed with crystallized ginger and sun dried apricots
•Prune and sun dried apricot winter compote
•Curried sun dried apricot Napa cabbage slaw
•Steamed green beans with sautéed shallots and sun dried apricots
•Baked rice studded with diced sun dried apricots
•Sun dried apricot, walnut, raisin and brown sugar stuffed baked apples
Snacks, Quick Breakfasts
•Sun dried apricot pumpkin seed trail mix
•Rolled-oats sun dried apricot granola
•Yogurt sweetened with sun dried apricots and nuts
•Fruit smoothie made with strawberries, banana and studded with sun dried apricots
•Harvest sun dried apricot pumpkin loaf
•Fruit bread with walnuts and sun dried apricot bits
•California diced date- sun dried apricot sweetened muesli
•Breakfast corn meal sun dried apricot muffins
•Stuffed sun dried apricot cream cheese French toast
•Multi-grain sun-dried apricot fruit bars
•Quick sun dried apricot quick bread
Entrees
•Wild rice and sun dried apricot stuffed Cornish game hens
•Green olive, sun dried apricot and olive oil marinade drizzled over a roasting chicken
•Steaming pork stew with winter root vegetables and sun dried apricots
•Roasted pork with prune and sun dried apricot stuffing
•North African lamb sun dried apricots
•Roasted spring lamb stuffed with sun dried apricot chive rice
•Spiced brisket with leeks and sun dried apricots
•Tagine of lamb and sun dried apricots in honey sauce
•An Alfredo twist - sun dried apricot, blue cheese cream pasta sauce
•Roast pork with sun dried apricots and cherries
•Brisket, aromatic spices and sun dried apricots roasted
•Chicken legs stewed with sun dried apricots
•Savory roast pork with sun dried apricot mustard sauce
Condiments and sauces
•Thick sun dried apricot fruit sauce
•Sweet tangy sun dried apricot mustard
•Harissa - a spicy Indian condiment
•Apricot and golden raisin chutney
•Sweet spicy sun dried apricot horseradish sauce
•Port wine sun dried apricot reduction
•Sun-dried apricot-honey syrup
•Sun dried apricot butter
•Fruity barbecue sauce with sun dried apricots
•Sun dried apricot, sweet wine and thyme infused syrup
•Shallot, sun dried apricot vinaigrette
•Spicy red pepper sun dried apricot dipping sauce
Sweets
•Sun dried apricot turnovers
•Sweet ricotta cheese ravioli with sun dried apricots
•Apricot and pistachio muffins
•Brandied sun dried apricots
•Chocolate dipped apricots
•Golden Central Valley sun dried apricot pie
•Chunky walnut, apricot oatmeal bars
•Cooked oatmeal squares with sun dried apricot enhanced syrup reduction
•Chocolate chunk, walnut, sun dried apricot cookies
•Sun dried apricot-almond gratin
•Sun dried apricot-almond cream cake
•Chocolate chunk- sun dried apricot bread pudding
•Sun-dried apricot-honey torte
•Grand Marnier sun dried apricot truffles
•Sun dried apricot-almond cream cake
•Chocolate chunk- sun dried apricot bread pudding
•Crunchy cashew sun dried apricot cluster cookies
•Sun dried apricot-almond gratin
•Bittersweet chocolate sun dried apricot cookies
•Custard studded with diced sun dried apricots and prune bits
•Almond sun dried apricot biscotti
•Tea scones made with sun dried apricots and almond slivers
•Sun dried apricot yellow cake trifle
•Chocolate fondue surrounded by extra large sun dried apricots
How To Use...
TRAINA FOODS SUN DRIED CALIFORNIA TOMATOES
...A gourmet staple
Every Traina Sun Dried Tomato starts as a carefully selected plump, full-flavored tomato that has gently ripened on the vine under the warm California sun. After picking, the tomatoes are washed, electronically color-sorted and hand-sorted by experienced tomato professionals. Only the juiciest, ripest tomatoes are cut in half and placed on redwood drying trays for the slow, gentle drying process, which takes approximately seven sunny days.
This most ancient of all food-preserving techniques uses the sun to slowly extract excess moisture from the tomato, leaving sun dried fruit concentrated with natural sugars and nutrients. Today's leading chefs continue to use this gourmet staple in the most creative ways.
Ideas for Using Traina Foods Sun Dried Tomatoes
Condiments
•Sun dried tomato caper pesto
•Tomato - golden raisin chutney
•Sun dried tomato and garlic spice rub
•Italian seasoned breadcrumbs with sun dried tomatoes
•Sun dried tomato spicy jelly
•Chunky sun dried tomato ketchup
•Bread rolled with a sun dried tomato pesto spread
•Spinach, feta, sun dried tomato, olive spread
Appetizers
•Sun dried tomato cream cheese spread
•Giant olives stuffed with garlic sliver and sun dried tomato bit
•Popcorn, garlic butter and sun dried tomato bits
•Sun dried Tomato focaccio
•Sun dried Tomato, spinach quiche
•Feta, sun dried tomato filo triangles
•Grilled pizza
•Sun dried tomato spiral bread loaf topped with garlic bits
•White beans, sun dried tomato appetizer crackers
•Sun dried tomato tapenade topped crostini
•Sun dried tomato topped wheat crackers
•White bean, basil sun dried tomato dip
•Add sun dried tomatoes to tradition hummus
•Sun dried tomato Parmesan scones
•Marinated artichoke and sun dried tomato spread
•Sandwich filled with meat, cheese, artichokes and sun dried tomato olive salad
Soups, Sauces
•Creamy sun dried tomato soup
•Italian vegetable soup with sun dried tomato pesto topping
•White bean, pasta, and sun dried tomato soup
•Chunky sun dried tomato pasta sauce
•Sun dried tomato pasta
•Sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce
•Tuna, caper, anchovy and sun dried tomato sauce
•Triple tomato sauce - fresh, canned and sun dried
•Double tomato salsa - fresh and sun-dried tomatoes
Sides
•Sun dried tomato, chive, sour cream stuffed baked potato
•Spring asparagus dressed with sun dried tomato vinaigrette
•Parsley, red onion, sun dried tomato couscous salad
•White beans with sun dried tomatoes and spinach
•Fresh spinach, white bean, sun dried tomato salad
•Savory rice with sun dried tomato herb seasoning
•Grilled polenta squares with sun dried tomato pine nut topping
Entrees
•Shrimp. sun dried tomato, broccoli pasta
•Char-grilled chicken, cannelloni bean, sun dried tomato salad
•Sun dried tomato chicken meatballs
•Spaghetti with an olive oil, tuna, caper sun dried tomato quick sauce
•Sun dried Tomato ravioli, tortellini & lasagna
•Penne pasta, sun dried tomato, chicken cream sauce
•Sun dried tomato, lemon peel, kalamata olive sauce over steamed clams
•Baked halibut topped with sun dried tomato Italian bread crumbs
•Grilled grouper with sun dried tomato, caper, anchovy, white wine sauce
•Spicy shrimp tossed with celery and sun dried tomatoes
•Roasted beef tenderloin stuffed with roasted garlic and sun dried tomatoes
•Ricotta, sun dried tomato stuffed chicken breasts
•Soufflé flavored with goat cheese and sun dried tomato
•Savory Italian sausage, sun dried tomato, pine nut sauce orzo
•Greek flavored turkey burgers - feta, sun dried tomatoes and red onion
•Sun dried tomato aioli
•Sun dried tomato mashed potatoes
•Creamy chive and sun dried tomato baked grits
•Pasta with a trio of grilled peppers and chipotle seasoned sun dried tomatoes
•Pine nut, basil, sun dried mascarpone torta
•Spring pasta - sun dried tomatoes, asparagus tips and goat cheese
•California pizza - artichoke hears, julienne of peppers, sun dried tomatoes and pesto
•Puff pastry topped with zucchini, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella
•Hot mayonnaise sun dried tomato dip
•Escarole, white bean, sun dried tomato and sausage stew
•Garlic and oil spaghetti topped with sun dried garlicky breadcrumbs
•Farfalle pasta with baby spinach, roasted walnuts and ricotta
•Spinach, parmesan, sun dried tomato filo rolls
•Romano cheese, black pepper, sun dried tomato "refrigerator dough" breadsticks
•Summer zucchini fritatta with sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese
•Eggplant slices stacked with dried tomato pesto,Jack and Parmesan cheese
•Seared steaks topped with goat cheese, caper and sun dried tomato butter
