Tag Archives: California

Garlic

From Local Farms to Your Table- The Story Behind Jeff’s Naturals Garlic Stuffed Olives

Garlic
April is National Garlic Month!

Throughout history, garlic has been utilized all over the world for its medicinal purposes and unique flavor. It’s versatility makes it a staple in everything from Asian to Mediterranean to Southwestern cuisine. In honor of National Garlic Month, we thought this would be a great time to give our garlic some due recognition.

If you have ever tried one of our Garlic Stuffed Olives, you’d understand why it’s a favorite among our consumers. The quality, consistency and addictive nature of these large, buttery olives hand stuffed with plump and savory cloves of garlic are simply unrivaled.

They can be enjoyed as a snack right out of the jar or used to garnish a bountiful Bloody Mary,  add flavor to your salad,  perk up a morning omelet and so much more!

From Farm to Table- The Story of Our Garlic

Garlic-Stuffed-OlivesWhere does our garlic come from?
The garlic used in Jeff’s Naturals Garlic Stuffed Olives is sourced from local family run farms in Gilroy (also known as the “Garlic Capitol of the World”) and Bakersfield, California.

Why do we only use locally grown California garlic?
Garlic from California is simply better. The mild climate near the coast in California is perfect for growing garlic (preferable over the garlic from China), and our consumers get a much fresher product with more flavor.

How many pounds of garlic does Jeff’s Naturals use every year?
Our materials manager estimates we currently use about 15,000 pounds of garlic each year, and hope to double that number in the coming years!

When is the garlic harvested?
The garlic harvest season is July through September.

What happens to the garlic once it is harvested?
Since we harvest during the hot summer months, the garlic is brought in to special cooling rooms immediately after harvesting in the field (garlic needs to be cooled or else it will spoil in the heat). Once the garlic is cooled, it is peeled and placed in boxes before it is loaded onto refrigerated trucks where it stays fresh as it is transported to our Napa Valley production facility.

How long does will it take to make our Garlic Stuffed Olives?
The entire process usually happens within 48 hours of harvest. Once the garlic arrives, we almost immediately begin the process of handstuffing stuffing the olives (sourced from family farms in the Mediterranean) before we put them into jars and ship them to your local natural foods store for you enjoy.

Jeff's Naturals Garlic

Now that you know the story behind our fresh garlic, click here for simple serving ideas to help you enjoy Jeff’s Naturals Garlic Stuffed Olives and Spicy Italian Olive Antipasto even more!

photo credit: garlic via photopin (license)

photo credit: IMG_8297 viphotopa in (license)

12 Ways to Enjoy Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions

Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions

When it comes to gourmet toppings, warm Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions are one of our all time favorites! Nothing perks up a dish quite like the sweet smokey flavor of this dynamic duo, and now you don’t have to roast, slice and caramelize because it’s already done for you!

Jeff  (of Jeff’s Naturals) says he enjoys cooking with Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions and recommends rinsing the peppers and onions in cool water, then lightly sautéing them and enjoying them on top of sandwiches, burgers, steak, etc.

pic_sausage-smothered-in-peppers-peperoncini-and-onions pic_Italian-Farro-Minestrone

We recently asked our Facebook fans for their suggestions, and here is what a couple of them had to say:

I have always been an onion lover!!! For me, I would butter and lightly brown a Ciabatta roll on the grill, then add lettuce, a grilled hamburger patty, a slice of cheese, some Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions, and top it off with a dollop of barbecue sauce!!! Now that’s the good life!! –Sue Harp

I would warm them in a saucepan, make some veggie meatballs and brown them in a fry pan. Use a slotted spoon & add the peppers and onions to the meatballs. Take a grinder or a Kaiser roll, fill the roll with the mixture. Top with a bit of provolone cheese, and pop in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes (or until cheese melts. For non-vegetarians, you can use ‘real’ meatballs). -Karen Goodwin Delaney

These are some great suggestions!  Here are 9 more delicious ways to enjoy Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions:

  1. Serve warm Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions on top of a heaping bowl of hot and creamy polenta.
  2. Top a plain cheese pizza with Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions, goat cheese and julienned fresh basil and bake at 400° for 10 minutes (or until cheese is nice and bubbly).
  3. Toss warm Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions with cooked pasta, marinated Artichoke Hearts, sliced Kalamata Olives and red wine vinaigrette for a colorful and satisfying pasta salad.
  4. Add a drained jar of Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions to fajita-style beef or chicken and serve with flour tortillas, spicy salsa and fresh guacamole.
  5. Make a delicious Greek omelet with diced Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions, sliced Kalamata Olives and feta cheese.
  6. For a special soup, add a drained jar of Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions and garlic along with broth and a diced potato. Simmer until potato is soft, puree until smooth, add heavy cream and season to taste.
  7. Use Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions as a gourmet topping for hot dogs.
  8. Combine Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions with farro, kale & cannellini beans make for a rustic minestrone to warm your soul. Click here for our recipe.
  9. Turn spicy Italian Sausage into a meal by topping it with Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions. Click here for our recipe.

Our peppers and onions are locally grown in California, roasted, sautéed and packed within 24-hours of harvest.  Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions can be found in natural food stores across the country and are Certified Kosher, Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Certified Vegan. You can also find them online at VitaCost.com.  Enjoy!

Fajita photo credit: jeffreyw via photopin cc

“The Garlic Capital of America” to Host Annual Garlic Festival This Weekend

What could possibly draw an estimated 100,000+ people to Gilroy, CA every summer for the past 36 years? Garlic of course!

The Gilroy Garlic Festival, one of the largest food festivals in the country, is a 3-day celebration of Gilroy’s robust garlic crop filled with incredible garlicky food,  beverages, arts & crafts, live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, a children’s area and so much more. This year’s festival is happening this weekend, July 25-27, 2014 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, about 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101.

We, at Jeff’s Naturals, are fans of this festival not only because it raises millions of dollars for various local charities, but because each of our delectable Garlic Stuffed olives are hand stuffed with plump and savory cloves of garlic that were grown in nearby…..you guessed it……Gilroy, California, the garlic capital of the U.S.

If you ever have a chance to go, we highly recommend it! Here are 10 Garlic Festival attractions you must see:

1: Gourmet Alley Food
2: Free Garlic Ice Cream
3: Flame-ups by Gourmet Alley Pyro Chefs
4: Cook-off Theater
5: Arts & Crafts
6: Children’s Area
7: Gourmet Alley Demonstration Stage
8: Wine Pavilion
9: Amphitheater
10: Mercantile

The “Pyro Chefs” in Gourmet Alley put on a spectacular flame-up show while preparing garlic-laced calamari and scampi in huge iron skillets. Photo Source: gilroygarlicfestival.com
Learn how garlic is harvested in the field by watching local experts compete in the garlic topping competition.
Learn how garlic is harvested in the field by watching local experts compete in the garlic topping competition. Photo Source: gilroygarlicfestival.com
Carla Hall of ABC-TV’s “The Chew” hosted the Garlic Showdown and charmed Cook-Off Theater attendees with a cooking demonstration.
Carla Hall of ABC-TV’s “The Chew” hosted the Garlic Showdown and charmed Cook-Off Theater attendees with a cooking demonstration. Photo Source: gilroygarlicfestival.com

So when you are enjoying one of our garlic stuffed olives, take a moment to appreciate the family farms in Gilroy where these plump and savory cloves of garlic came from. To learn more about this unique festival, it’s history and the wonderful work these volunteers do for their community, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com.

Photo credit: besighyawn via photopin cc

Whole Foods Tribal Bazaar

At Jeff’s Naturals, we spend a lot of time traveling to meet with natural foods retailers and members of their team. It’s always a pleasure to be a part of events where we can introduce our unique products to new people!

We recently had the pleasure of attending the Whole Foods Tribal Bazaar in the port city of Richmond, CA.  This special event gives Whole Foods employees a chance to sample and learn more about the natural brands sold in their stores.  This results in more knowledgeable store employees and the ability to assist their customers even more.

The event was resounding success and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots of new faces while distributing samples of our peppers and olives sold in their stores. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with so many wonderful Whole Foods team members and answer their questions!

Needless to say, we had lots of fun making new friends and checking out some of the other vendors on the floor along with some fun sites.  In addition to mouth watering food and drink samples, we were wowed by all of the natural wellness vendors and exciting entertainment from roaming dancers and contortionists!  Here are some of the fun snapshots we took of the event:

Enjoying the shade
Taking a break from the local food vendors who were serving up complimentary goodies. The vendors served everything from Tamales to Malaysian food….Coffee, Ice cream and more!  Check out how huge the sign is!
Enjoying a little bistro dining. Smells like heaven here. Or is that sausage?
Rosie The Riveter Museum was adjacent to the pavilion where our event was taking place!  This is a wonderful place to learn more about life in the United States  during WWII and the important role women played during this time. Those are Whole Foods team members sending smiles!