Chef’s Produce Picks

Caribou Russets

Item #21966
1/80 ct

Maine made. Maine grown. The Caribou Russet is a dual-purpose potato that delivers classic russet flavors while working well in both mashed and fried offerings. The Caribou russet is also hearty, producing high yields with greater blight resistance and mid-season maturity.

Grape Tomato Medley

Item #11522
12/8 OZ

Introduced to the worldwide market in the 1990s, grape tomatoes have gained substantial popularity, due at least in part to their higher sugar content compared to regular tomatoes and their smaller, bite-sized shape. Grape tomatoes are oblong and shaped like grapes. They’re about half the size of cherry tomatoes, with thicker skins and flesh that is meatier and less watery. Use these multi-colored gems in gazpacho, on salads, in pasta dishes and as part of your signature bruschetta. Simply cut in half, season and present.

100% Usable Cilantro

Item #23056
1/4 LB

Apart from its wonderful flavor, cilantro brings many health benefits, supports heart health, detoxifies the body and is a powerful antioxidant. Taylor Farms cilantro is cut to order and packed within hours of harvest. This flavorful herb adds color and flavor to your favorite dishes.

• 100% usable, zero waste!
• Triple washed, ready-to-eat
• All natural, no additives or preservatives

Corn on the Cob

Item #26175
1/48 CT

Corn on the cob is truly a spring and summer delicacy, ideally suited for the culinary dishes you’ll create over the many warm to hot days ahead. Fresh corn is most commonly enjoyed on the cob steamed or roasted. The corn kernels can be eaten raw in a salad, grilled and used in a salsa, fried, roasted or sautéed. Mexican style street corn has been rising in popularity and is a great way to showcase your creativity. There are countless opportunities to incorporate fresh corn into your menu. Be sure to try corn in sweet applications; try making chocolate bark with oven dried corn and chopped thyme.

Power Slaw Blend

Item #11654
4/ 2 lb
From Mann’s

Mann’s Veggie Power Blend is a colorful blend of seven superfoods: golden beets, broccoli stalks, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, kale, radicchio and carrots. It offers unprecedented convenience to operators and can be utilized in a wide variety of applications, from appetizers and salads to sandwiches and entrees.

Baby Arugula

Item #26455
1/3 LB

Baby arugula is widely popular as a salad green. Arugula also commonly goes by the name “garden rocket” or “rocket salad”. The Oxford Companion to Italian Food, states that arugula at one time had a reputation for being a sexual stimulant. Either way, for prowess or just for taste, be sure to feature Baby Arugula on your Valentine’s Day menu! Simply put baby arugula has it all, looks, size and flavor. With it’s mild pepper after tones baby arugula is great for most salads, adding extra green color to a puree, or as a garnish with its petite leaf. Make your own salad mix by combining baby arugula with baby kale.

Leeks

Item #19477
3 count

Leeks are typically chopped into slices around 1/4 inch thick. They have a mild, onion-like taste. In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm. The edible portions of the leek are the white base of the leaves (above the roots and stem base), the light green parts, and to a lesser extent the dark green parts of the leaves. Waste not, want not… Use the tougher dark green tops in stocks, puree sauces or slice thin and slow cook with equal parts oil to make leek confit or melted leeks.

Fennel

Item #19475
3 count

The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be sautéed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw. Use the vibrant green fronds as a whole leaf garnish, stems and core can be used in soups and stews and shaved fennel pairs great in salads with baby arugula & kale. Be sure to store shaved fennel in acidulated water as it will oxidize.

Baby Kale

Item #13439
1/3 lb

Kale is a member of the cabbage family and originated in the eastern Mediterranean where it has been cultivated for food since 2000 B.C. For most of the twentieth century, kale was primarily used in the United States for decorative purposes (in salad bars for example) it became more popular as an edible vegetable in the 90s due to its nutritional value and super-food status. Baby kale is a hearty baby green that, in salads, holds up to medium viscosity dressings. It’s awesome when mixed with baby arugula, or quickly wilt into pasta dishes or make a super-food smoothie using baby kale, Greek yogurt & granny smith apples.

Rainbow Carrots

Item #11410
12/2 lb or 6/2 lb

Rainbow carrots are enjoyed around the world, including the Mediterranean and Asia, but they are still a relative novelty in the United States. Featuring subtle flavor variations and rich color these vibrant root veggies are a distinct way to add fresh appeal to your menu. Rainbow carrots add a colorful pop to all dishes using traditional carrots. Makes a great addition to house made giardiniera, crudités or as simple seared multi colored carrot medallions

Red Beets

Item #21880
1/5 lb

Beets can be boiled or steamed, peeled, and then eaten warm with or without butter as a delicacy; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad. Beet juice can be used to intensify the color of sauces, desserts, jams and jellies and ice cream. Be adventurous and add beets to a brine for pickled eggs.

Celery Root

Item #2642
1/10 lb

This root vegetable-like strand of celery is cultivated primarily for its creamy textured off-white bulb. The Subtle distinction of celery flavors shines through and pairs well with a wide range of center of the plate offerings. Celery root is great in soups, as a velvety sauce or simply roasted and seasoned with sea salt as a stand-out vegetable offering.

Ramps

Item #22892
1/5 lb

Ramps are also known as wild leeks or wild spring onions. They have a short growing season lasting from April into early June, but this depends solely on when the snow melts and winter has been shaken away. Ramps are prized for their beautiful appearance; flat green leaves and pale white stock much like that of a scallion. With a flavor profile of a mild onion with garlic after tones, Ramps are suitable for many savory preparations. To extend your seasonal offering of ramps well into July, be proactive by pickling the bulbs and using the greens to create a unique delicious pesto.

Fiddleheads

Item #22896
1/10 lb

Also known as fiddlehead ferns, fiddleheads are the coiled edible tips of the ostrich fern. They are most commonly found in wet areas along streams, rivers and lakes during late April, May and early June, depending on when the snow has melted. Fiddleheads offer a delicious earthy flavor; spinach meets asparagus is the best description. They are high in vitamins A and C, rich with assorted minerals and low in calories. Fiddleheads should be vigorously cleaned as they are a wild plant that grows in extreme elements. Use cooked fiddleheads as a spring vegetable offering, in pasta dishes, fold into a mushroom risotto or add to a salad. My favorite preparation is to cook fiddleheads with rendered bacon, splash with a bit of acidity (lemon juice or cider vinegar) and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Rhubarb

Item #26457
Bushel

Rhubarb is the tart spring perennial fruit (vegetable?), with an edible red skinned stock when young, transitioning into pink and green stock in maturity. While the stock is edible, the elephant ear shaped leaf is not and should be discarded. The rhubarb skin should be peeled off as part of pre-use production. Although most commonly known for its use in the classic strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb can be used in many applications; ice cream, pies, a play on fries, sauces or a unique twist in a pizza sauce. Be sure to make ample chutneys, jams and syrups to prolong the season well into summer.

Pea Pods (Shell Peas)

Item #1916
Bushel

Also known as English peas, these plump vine grown green pods house plump green peas, which embody the spring produce season. The inedible, fibrous protective shell when split open reveal the prized possession within, and although shell peas are labor intensive they are well worth the plight. Shell peas are used in many culinary applications, as a vegetable, creamed peas, in pasta dishes, used in pesto and as emerald green puree.

Morel Mushrooms

Item #2632
1 lb

These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges and are prized by gourmet cooks. In fact, morels are one of the most popular wild mushroom species in the world. Morel have a unique meaty texture with an earthy and nutty flavor. Morels offer an exquisite flavor without overpowering dishes, and a satisfying bite without being squishy or chewy.

Peeled Black Garlic

Item #22541
1 lb

Black garlic is the product achieved from a natural fermentation that happens within a 4 week process of controlled heat and humidity, rendering the garlic black, sticky and sweet.  I like to refer to black garlic as Garlic Gummies; just like garlic candy. This high end product can be use in many preparations; both sweet & savory. Great for sauces, aioli, vinaigrettes, and even in ice cream. A little bit goes a long (awesome) way.

Candy Stripe Beets

Item #26703
1/25 lb

This variety of beet is named for the candy cane like stripped appearance, offering many colorful candy like layers when pealed and sliced. Candy Stripe Beets are great when shaved and used in raw preparations, pickled or used as a vegetable style carpaccio; visually stunning with flavor to match.

Micro Greens
Mixed

Item #9708
8oz

Microgreens are vegetable greens, smaller than “baby greens” that are harvested after sprouting as shoots. They are used as a visual and flavor component to enhance both the attractiveness and taste of dishes with their delicate textures and distinctive flavors. Micro greens are considered a specialty genre of greens that are good for garnishing salads, soups, plates, and sandwiches.

Micro Greens
Bull’s Blood

Item #15829
8oz

Micro Bull’s Blood greens are beetroot greens that are harvested after sproutnig and before they grow to the size of “baby greens”. Bull’s Blood has bright red stems topped with two elongated leaves. Their upper surface is a dusty green tinged in red while the underside is a light burgundy with deep magenta veining. Micro Bull’s Blood is tender and sweet with a distinct beet-like flavor.

Micro Greens
Cilantro

Item #21465
8oz

Cilantro, also known as Coriander or Chinese Parsley, is an annual herb. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. Most people perceive the taste of cilantro leaves as a tart, lemon/lime taste. Cilantro micro greens have a sweet aroma and bold flavor. In contrast to full-size cilantro, micro cilantro is slightly peppery with a bit of grassiness. Use this delicate micro variety as a last second touch for grape tomato gazpacho, on ceviche, with shrimp cocktail or as a finishing touch for sea scallop crudo kissed with Maine sea salt and blood orange zest.

Micro Greens
Basil

Item #21947
8oz

Featuring a strong, pungent, often sweet smell; basil is a popular and versatile herb used in cuisines around the globe. Basil is most commonly used fresh in recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking can quickly degrade the flavor. Micro Basil is quite similar to full sized basil, with a slightly stronger flavor profile and delicate crunch. The greens resemble a “micro” version of a mature basil plant. Bruschetta of micro basil and grape tomato medley = wow factor!

Tri-color Fingerling Potatoes

Item #10794
1/20 lb

Stubby and finger-shaped, fingerlings are potato varieties that naturally grow small and narrow. They are fully mature when harvested and should not be confused with new potatoes. Our Tri-color fingerling potatoes feature three of the world’s most popular varieties: the yellow-skinned Russian Banana, the pink-skinned and yellow fleshed French Fingerling, and the Purple Peruvian.

Ken’s Compliments

A family-owned business producing some of the best sauces and dressings available to foodservice professionals today. Ken’s is the perfect, craveable compliment to your fresh salads and produce.

10 Tips for Managing Seasonal Menus

Seasonal ingredients and menu items have become more popular along with the local food movement, which goes right to the heart of the kind of sustainability commitment that today’s customers are looking for.

From the Chef

Award-winning chef Tim Labonte has joined Dennis Paper & Food Service in the newly established position of Corporate Chef… See what’s new from the test kitchen; from original recipes to foodie insights and more!

Recipes

Browse our recipe center with a “vegetable” search – highlighting recipes that will put some serious pop behind your produce. Follow the directions or deviate with your own signature touches!