The Fruit Company

If you are having trouble finding the perfect gift this holiday season, below are some choices for every type of recipient on your list. Christmas is coming, let us help you get all of your gifts picked out!

If you are planning the office party, sending gifts to valued clients, or just wanting to get your boss something special, these gifts have something for everyone.

Choose the Festival of Fruit with over 19 pounds of crisp apples, fresh pears, juicy citrus and cool tropical pineapple. Or the Dried Fruit and Nut Tray, perfect for entertaining with its dried mango, kiwi, and pineapple among Colossal Pistachios and classics such as dried apples, pears, and apricots.

To make a bigger impression choose the Mountain of Gifts. Complete with fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, sausage and chocolates, it is sure to be a hit.

Whether you are sending your love via mail or visiting for the holidays, these classic best-selling gifts are a great addition to any family gathering.

Enjoying these gifts is the perfect way to spend a snowy evening gathered around the fire after a fun filled day.

For the fruit lover in your family there is no better gift then one of ourHarvestClub™ monthly fruit clubs.

With four different clubs from the Americana and Deluxe, to the Organic and Exotica you are sure to find something for everyone’s tastes.

With all of the family and friends around this time of year, I like having a holiday fruitcake without any alcohol in it around for everyone to be able to enjoy. Traditionally, the rum or brandy in a fruitcake is what keeps it moist and prevents it from spoiling, making it possible for you to keep it on your counter all season long, so this recipe employs a few tricks to help keep your fruitcake delicious for weeks, but believe me, once people have a slice, it won’t last that long.

The recipe’s first key to making a long lasting fruitcake is to only use dried fruit. Some recipes use sautéed apples, applesauce or canned pineapple. By using only dried fruit the cake is less likely to spoil. The mix is also completely to taste and so you can increase flavors or substitute something less traditional like dried blueberries or cherries, keeping in mind to keep the volume similar. I’ve even replaced the nuts in it completely with more dried fruit when I knew there were nut allergy concerns.

The second trick to keeping your fruitcake fresh and moist is by coating it completely with a glaze. I’ve used a maple glaze here, because I think the flavors is very reminiscent of the holidays and pairs nicely with the oranges and other spices, but if maple isn’t your cup of tea try substituting some orange juice or just some heavy cream. Keep in mind that because certain liquids like orange juice are less viscous than maple syrup you’ll have to reduce the quantity slightly. The final product should be about the consistency of molasses.

Applying the glaze in several layers in what allows you to get it on thicker and therefore create a greater barrier on your cake to keep the moisture in and the air out.

I almost always double the recipe, because while it does have a few ingredients, it’s so easy to make and will last all season long, so it’s perfect to keep around the house for unexpected guests or as a last minute take along as a gift or to a party.

You may have noticed that I use paper cuffs to bake the cakes in. This is completely optional and not necessary, but I like the ease of clean up, and it’s an easy way of gifting the cakes to others or bringing a loaf to work or church without then having to worry about getting your loaf pan back. Just wrap the cooled cake, glazed and placed back into the paper cuff with cellophane and a bow, and you’re ready to bring a confection that is sure to please.

The Fruit Company :Orange Spiced Fruit Cake w/ Maple Glaze (Alcohol Free)

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

1 c butter

1 ½ c sugar

¼ c molasses

4 eggs

3 c all purpose flour

2 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 t ground nutmeg

1 t ground cloves

1 t ground ginger

1 T ground cinnamon

1 c orange juice

Fruit & Nut Mix

2 c raisins

1 c craisins

1 c dates, roughly chopped

1 c candied cherries (red, green, or a mix of the two)

1 c candied pineapple chunks

½ c candied orange peel

½ c candied ginger, chopped fine

2 c pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)

Maple Glaze

4 c confectioners sugar

1 c maple syrup

½ c butter, melted

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 300°F

-Make cake batter by first creaming butter, sugar and molasses in a large bowl with a hand mixer, first on low speed then increasing speed as ingredients become more combined. When mixture is completely incorporated and becomes slightly pale in color, beat in eggs, one egg at a time, incorporating next egg after the previous egg has become absorbed by the mixture

-Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, whisking flour spices and baking powder until completely combined.

-Combine wet and dry ingredients in sections, pouring dry into wet in thirds, alternating with a third of orange juice at a time, until just incorporated. You don’t want to over mix.

-Fold in fruit and nut mixture.

-Fill 4 well greased small loaf pans (approximately 2.5”x 7”x 2”) 4/5 of the way full.

-Place pans onto cookie sheet (for ease) and bake at 300°F for 1 ½ hours or until a toothpick just comes out clean. Cake will still look slightly underdone, but will “set” as it cools.

-Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack, approximately 2 hours or overnight

-Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, and melted butter in a medium bowl until completely smooth.

-Carefully unmold cakes and place on wire racks on a cookie sheet. Pour over half of the maple-glazed mixture, allowing the cookie sheet to catch the drips beneath the wire rack. Allow glaze to set for at least one hour and then repeat with the remaining glaze, again allowing glaze to set for at least one hour, or preferably overnight.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

As the fall season settles in and rain, storms, leaves, windy nights and the brisk mornings become normal, many often refer to this as a dreary time of year.  If you reflect on the Summer fun had and the warmth enjoyed its easy to see why. But once we grow accustomed to this season it soon becomes a time spent with loved one, cherishing the good experienced and focusing on the things that matter the most.

Between the rush of shopping and ads blanketing your television, its easy to find stress in it but if we stop and look at the core of what fall entails we find it to be a time of thanks.  As a company that focuses on being a outlet to share emotion we find great joy in helping you express warm sentiments to each other.

We hope and wish you  safe travels throughout the break and a Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours!

This recipe looks like it has a lot of steps (and it does), but the steps are all fast and easy and if you start with a premade crust, your pizza will be done in no time. However, before you go straight to using a store bought crust, let me spend a second convincing you of how easy it is to make it at home, especially if you have a kitchen aid. You literally just put everything in the mixer and blend. If you’re really lazy (as I often am), you can even let those last two minutes of kneading happen in the mixer. I also always use the mixing bowl to let the dough rise in. I just take it out for second, oil the bowl, replace and rise.

Whenever I make pizza dough, I almost always also make a double batch and then par bake the left over dough and freeze it for later use, it’s like having “store bought” pizza dough at home and ready to use all the time. You can also make the dough ahead and store it in your fridge covered in an oiled bowl or a storage bag for up to two days. If this is still too much work for you, I recommend asking your local pizza joint to buy some fresh dough from them. You can usually get some for a few bucks, and the results are totally worth it.

For this recipe, I do par bake the dough, since the topped pizza doesn’t have to stay in the oven for very long, but for traditional marinara sauce pizza, I just use the dough in it’s completely raw form.

As for the two sauces in the recipe, both are fascinatingly simple, in one you just blend all the ingredient, and the other, you let sit on the stove for a little while, while your pizza is baking, and both sauces are excellent to have on hand. I always make homemade pesto in the summer months when basil is abundant, but during the winter, I like to use arugula, which stays relatively inexpensive and is easy to get all year long. The peppery flavor is perfect with the sweet pears and I spoon it on fresh to get the full impact of the arugula. The sauce is also great to use like traditional pesto on pasta, or to top roasted potatoes, spread on to sandwiches, or spooned onto roasted chicken, fish, or a good steak.

The honey balsamic reduction is just as versatile, and I often use it to jazz up grilled chicken or to top bruschetta or roasted veggies.

Once you have all the pieces ready, it really is just assemble and bake. The ingredients are few and simple and so each one really shines. You get the smoky notes of bacon and creamy tartness of the goat cheese with the bright peppery arugula all there to support the sweet complexity of the Comice pears.

This is an easy recipe to have in your back pocket for a quick meal to have for guests, and the bacon can easily be replaced with toasted walnuts for an equally delicious vegetarian option. The walnuts and pears are so good together, that it’s sure to please even your most devout carnivores.

Comice Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza with Arugula Pesto and Honey Balsamic Glaze

1 large pizza crust

1 large Comice pear, thinly sliced

12 oz. goat cheese crumbled

8 oz. thickly sliced bacon, cut into 2 in. squares (about 5-6 slices)

(or 1 c toasted walnuts, for a vegetarian version)

1 c. Arugula Pesto

3-4 T Honey Balsamic Glaze
Preheat oven to 475°F

Prepare a 14 or 16 in. pizza pan by lightly coating with cooking spray or scantly dusting with cornmeal

Roll out pizza crust thinly  and place on prepared pan.

Par bake crust for 4-5 minutes on 475°F

Meanwhile,  cut bacon into large 2 in. pieces and cook on medium high heat until lightly browned, but not cooked completely. Bacon will continue to cook and further crisp in the oven.

Once crust is par baked, crumble on goat cheese then evenly place on the bacon and thinly sliced Comice pears.

Baked at 475°F for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and pears are golden around the edges and roasted through.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute before spooning on arugula pesto and drizzling on the honey balsamic glaze.

Pizza Dough: makes 2, 14 -16 in. thin crust pizzas

1 T (or 1 package) or dry yeast

½ c warm water

1 t. sugar

3 – 3 ½ c All Purpose Flour

2 t salt

¾ c milk

¼ c olive oil

Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar in a small bowl and let proof for approximately 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bubble.

In a medium sized mixing bowl or in a kitchen aid with a dough hook or similar appliance with a dough attachment, blend flour and salt, then after yeast is proofed, mix in remaining ingredients starting on low to medium speed, then increasing to a faster speed till all ingredients are well combined or until the dough forms a ball and begins to slightly pull away from the sides.

Remove from the bowl onto a slightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about an hour or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

After the dough has risen, punch it down, divide in two and it’s ready to use.

Arugula Pesto: makes approximately 2 ½ c of finished pesto

2 c packed arugula (approx. a 5 oz. container)

¾ c extra virgin olive oil

½ c freshly grated parmesean

½ c toasted pine nuts

2 T lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)

1 small clove garlic

salt to taste

Wash and dry your arugula well. Even a few teaspoons of water left on the leaves will substantially water down the flavor of your pesto.

To toast the pine nuts, place nuts in a dry sauté pan on medium high heat shaking or stirring the nuts continuously until they are lightly browned in color and their aroma intensifies.

Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor (I prefer a food processor), and pulse while drizzling the olive oil in a slow but steady stream.

You are looking for a smooth, but not liquid consistency. The sauce should be of medium thickness, adjust with more or less olive oil (or lemon juice) to your desired consistency.

Honey Balsamic Glaze:

1 c balsamic vinegar

¼ c honey

Place ingredients in a small saucepan and on medium heat reduce by half.

The sauce will thicken as it reduces and should coat the back of a spoon when done. Be careful when it’s cooking not to get it on your skin as the reduced sugars in both the honey and balsamic will act like caramel and can stick to and burn your skin.

The reduction will thicken more as it cools and you may need to reheat it on low heat before using if it thickens too significantly.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

We at The Fruit Company wanted to just take a minute and wish you all and your families a wonderful fall.  As the leaves start to dance off the trees and the colors change, enjoy the time shared with loved ones and friends as we enter into a festive time of year filled with the lighting of the fireplace, hot chocolate and the sprinkling of rain.

I love the onset of fall – the leaves start turning, the orchards begin to fill with fruit, and the crisp autumn air gives me an excuse to break out my grandmother’s old quilts. But the start of fall also means that school’s started again, the busyness of the holidays are starting to begin, and the mourning of the freshness of summer.

During any seasonal transition there’s always so much to do, and so I like the ease of this recipe. Besides a little bit of chopping and the dressing (which you can make ahead and keep on hand for this and other salads) it’s a fast dump and mix recipe, impressive enough to make for guests, but easy enough to have any day of the week. Packed with veggies and protein, I’ll have 2 or 3 of the lettuce cups as a light but filling lunch, or add in some steamed white or brown rice to make it a complete dinner. It’s also a great make a head appetizer for a dinner party. Just keep the filling and lettuce cups separate till you’re ready to serve. The flavors only get better with time.

I’ve discovered, it’s also a great “add-in” recipe that you could add-in or substitute any leftover vegetables you might have around the house. The Asian pears are a great subtle background flavor for almost anything – red peppers, cucumbers, radishes, avocado – while still holding their distinct sweetness and crispness. Try substituting peanuts or crispy wonton strips for the almonds, or serving the whole mix on a toasted baguette smeared with a little Brie instead of in the lettuce cups. The possibilities are nearly endless. And when I don’t want to grill my own chicken, I’ve been known to just pick up an already roasted one at the grocery store and use that or even left over flank steak as a way to make the recipe even faster and easier.

Beside the ease, fun, and unexpected flavor profiles, I also love this recipe, because it’s a last harbinger of summer. There will be time for roasted apples and freshly pressed cider in the months to come, but while I can, I like extending the brightness and vigor for just a little bit longer as I make my way into fall.

Chicken & Asian Pear Slaw in Lettuce Cups with Sesame-Ginger Dressing (serves 2)

Dressing:

¼ c rice vinegar

1 T grated ginger

2 T soy sauce

1 T fish sauce (if you don’t have fish sauce, add another T of soy sauce)

2 T sesame oil

1 T vegetable or canola oil

1 T honey

½ t red pepper flakes (optional)

Slaw Ingredients:

1 lg. Asian sliced thinly

1 grilled chicken breast shredded – a scant 2 cups

1 lg. carrot julienned

3 scallons sliced on the diagonal

¼ c slivered almonds (reserve a few for garnish)

1 head Boston or butter lettuce washed, dried, and divided into “cups”

sliced avocado for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl (we’re just going to use the same bowl to toss our slaw in) place all dressing ingredients together and mix. I’ve found that using a microplane or the smallest side on any boxed grater will give you the best results with your ginger. When mixing, the dressing will remain “broken” and not imulsify, that’s the way it should be.

2. Prep all salad ingredients, slicing each thinly. To julienne the carrot, first cut the carrot into a manageable length, then into small “planks”. Then stack 3 or 4 planks at a time and cut across length wise.If you have the time, try toasting your almonds by putting them in a small sauté pan for a few minutes on medium high heat until they’re lightly browned and intensify in scent.

3. Mix ingredients together with the dressing, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the flavors to marry while you prep your lettuce. While washing, make sure to dry the leaves thoroughly as to not water down the dressing.

4. Fill each lettuce cups generously with about half a cup of the slaw, garnishing with some of your reserved almonds and some sliced avocado and additional sliced scallion if desired.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

The Fruit Company® and its orchards are beyond ecstatic about the season.  We’ve harvested Star Crimson, Bartlett, and Seckle pears so far and will look to pick Anjous and our world-famous Webster Comice pears in the coming weeks.  Around the office we’ve all taken that “first bite of the season” from this year’s crop; our excitement was justified.

For a little taste of Harvest 2012, try our Pear Medley and Apple Medley fruit boxes.  Each box features a selection of Pear and Apple varieties because you can’t get the taste of harvest without trying it all.

Or for the completists out there, try our Mixed Fruit Medley, which combines our Apples and Pears with some delectable Citrus for good measure.  One bite from one of our apples or pears and you’ll be wishing it was harvest all year long.

They may be mini, but these exotic treats are anything but miniature in taste. And one is grown right here in Oregon!

Grown only in Oregon and New Zealand, the Baby Kiwi is like a miniature kiwi (in fact they’re cousins!) without all the fuzz. In fact you can pop the whole thing in your mouth, just like a grape. The Baby Kiwi is roughly the size of a grape with a smooth green skin that often sports a reddish blush. Inside the flesh is almost identical to that of a standard kiwi—bright green with little, edible black seeds and is incredibly juicy. The flavor is a little more intense and sweet than a standard kiwi. Baby Kiwis are often considered a type of berry, and we even package them similarly, in a protective plastic clamshell container. And like a berry the Baby Kiwis have a short shelf life, remaining fresh for only about a week if kept refrigerated. In Oregon the Baby Kiwi is available from mid-September through October, and in New Zealand you can find them February through March. We recommend the best use for Baby Kiwi is to just pop them in your mouth and enjoy them fresh. However they make wonderful additions to salads, tarts, jams and other dishes where you might use a standard kiwi. They hold their flavor through cooking. The Baby Kiwis are rich in Vitamin C and potassium and are naturally fat free and low in sodium. They also offer a fair amount of fiber.

ORDER THE HARVESTCLUB EXOTICA TODAY! CLICK HERE!

Thriving in hot and humid climates, the Baby Pineapple is just like its larger counterpart except that, naturally it’s smaller and its core is tender and sweet, rather than tough and fibrous. The Baby Pineapples end up growing to a height of 5 to 7 inches, with a diameter around 4 inches. The diminutive size makes it a perfect small portion when a large pineapple is just too much. They are wonderful cut up and eaten fresh, but you can include them in any dish that you would with a regular pineapple such as in fresh fruit salads, beverages or baked goods. The skin is rough, golden, and when ripe is delightfully fragrant. The perfect pineapples are bright in color with green leaves; avoid pineapples with brown, soft spots or dry and brown leaves. They will be able to keep when refrigerated for up to ten days. To enjoy, cut off the crown of leaves and a small portion of the base and cut up the entirety of its flesh while removing the tough skin. Baby Pineapples are high in Vitamin A and C, as well as calcium, iron and potassium, making them an exceptional part of your daily nutrients.

To Find out more about the the HarvestClub Exotica Click here

The 4000 year old “Persian Apple”

Little known to many, peaches originated in China approximately 2000 B.C. The scientific name for peaches, Prunus persica, originated from an early European belief that peaches came from Persia (nowIran). In fact they were brought over on the Silk Road from Asia to the Greater Mesopotamia andMediterranean regions before Christian times.

The ancient Romans called peaches “Persian Apples” for the country that introduced the fruit to the West. The peach was brought to Americaby Spanish explorers in the 16^th century, and then to England and France in the 17^th century. Numerous Native American tribes are credited with distributing the peach tree across theUnited States, taking seeds with them and planting as they traveled through the country.

According to Chinese legend, the peach was said to be consumed by immortals for its ability to prolong life for all who ate them. The peach often is an important part of Chinese tradition and is symbolic of long life.

As well, due to its sweetness and soft texture, the ancient Chinese used “peach” as a slang word for “young bride” and in many cultures has remained as a way to define pretty young women. The terms “peachy” and “peachy keen” in English are representative of this.

Peach trees are the second most commonly cultivated fruit trees in the world, after apple trees. TodayChina,Greece,Italy and America are major producers of peaches. California, South Carolina and Georgia are the largest peach producers within theUnited States. They thrive in climates with mild, cool winters and a lot of summer heat, which help lend to the fruit’s intense sweetness.

A medium sized peach has only 35 calories, making it a perfect snack or dessert. They are also excellent sources of fiber, Vitamins A, C and E, and phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants ridding the body of free radicals and are great for one’s skin.

To order fresh Oregon Peaches Click here!

Cherry harvest, one of our favorite times of the year, is fast approaching! According to orchardists around the area, the start of harvest is expected between July 2nd and July 8th. It’s a bit later than usual due to wet conditions and cold nights, but the product is still expected to be outstanding: orchardists are predicting a larger cherry of a higher quality.

Last year’s cherries were delicious. We devoured them in June and July, and dreamt about them during the winter months. It’s always that way with cherries: we love them while they’re here, and miss them when they’re gone.

But the Cherries are coming, and we here at The Fruit Company would hate for you to miss out. That’s why we’re now taking pre-orders on www.TheFruitCompany.com for our Dark Sweet and Rainier Cherries. The cherries start shipping out July 1st, and come in two sizes: 2lb, and 3lb. For those that can’t decide between Dark Sweet and Rainier, we offer a combo box, filled with the freshest of both varieties.

While we love cherries, we also enjoy sharing them with loved ones. With all our fruit, we’d like to think that what we’re delivering goes beyond quality gourmet gifts. We’re delivering a bit of the northwest. It’s all the rain, and soil and hard work that the Northwest is famous for, and there’s no better example than our Cherries in July!