Last week, our company was in New Orleans at our industry’s annual trade show and convention, the PMA (Produce Marketing Association) Fresh Summit. When we arrived at the Marriott Hotel, I noticed a chef in the lobby. Of course, we struck up a conversation. It turns out that Chef Chad Roldan is the Executive Chef of the New Orleans Marriott. Naturally, our conversation turned to produce.
Chef Chad asked us about our purple theme, and of course, I told him about the newest purple vegetable that we have introduced: the Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato.
In the fall of 2012, we started distributing these earthy, firm sweet potatoes that are like no other. We worked with Chef Alan Greeley of The Golden Truffle in Newport Beach, California. Alan immediately showed us that the flavor and texture are mouthwatering and unique by roasting these tubers longer than conventional sweet potatoes, wrapped in foil, and then holding them overnight in the fridge.
Plus, that purple color is crazy! That really is their natural color.
We sent out a few samples to many bloggers and foodies like Carolyn Scott of Healthy Voyager, Erika Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen, and Dorothy Reinhold of Shockingly Delicious. They too are smitten with the Purple Sweet Potatoes.
And now, as our second Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato season has started, we are thrilled that consumers across the country will be able to find them in virtually all supermarkets.
Besides liking the purple color, one of the reasons I was so excited about this new vegetable is that dark purple/blue/red color signifies a large amount of antioxidants. Unfortunately, when you cook most dark vegetables, the heat destroys these nutrients—but not in Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes! They continue to be a powerhouse of nutrition and do not lose their antioxidants.
So, as you are planning your Thanksgiving or Hanukkah menus, you might want to try one of these new, flavorful recipes like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato Latkes or a mash.
Oh, let’s go back to New Orleans for a second.
I had forgotten the whole time we were chatting with Chef Chad that my daughter Alex was carrying this sign which was part of our show display. (Poor girl!) Since she was standing right next to the chef, I couldn’t resist the temptation to snap a photo of the two of them.
Think purple!
Karen