Create New Dishes for 2016

Organic Baby Yams
Organic Baby Yams are smaller yams about ¾”-1” in diameter. There are several varieties: Jewel, Garnet, and Japanese. They are packed full of vitamin A and have almost zero fat. Baby yams have an interior flesh ranging from white to deep orange, depending on the variety. Each variety is delicious and creamy and can be prepared like a large yam, with the cooking time much shorter. Try using these instead of potatoes for a mash, or sautéed side dish. Baby yams are generally available until April.


Chinese Long Beans
Chinese Long Beans are green beans that are in the same family as the black-eyed pea. They are known to grow several feet in length and are usually found twisted like a rope in the produce department. Often times, they are cut into shorter pieces for convenience. Chinese Long Beans are generally used cut into 4-6 inch pieces and sautéed for stir fries or side dishes. The whole bean is eaten.

These unique and tasty beans are not as crispy as a regular green bean but add plenty of flavor. They are low-fat and contain small amounts of protein and vitamin A. They are available year around.


Fingerling Potatoes
Russian Banana Fingerlings, named for their development in the Baltic States, look like a banana in shape. These yellow skinned potatoes are unique fingerlings. They have a firmer texture and are an excellent base in potato salad. Russian Bananas are one of the most popular of the fingerlings. Ruby Crescent Fingerling potatoes are long and slender with rose-pink skin and sweet yellow flesh. These potatoes are very interesting in the way they occasionally grow branched off one another. They are the best roasting potato and are also delicious boiled for potato salad or baked and topped with sour cream. French Fingerlings are medium size tubers with satin smooth reddish orange skin. These potatoes are rumored to have been smuggled into America from Europe long ago in a horse’s feed bag. A welcome addition today, these potatoes are delicious boiled for potato salad or baked and topped with sour cream. Fingerling potatoes make a great side dish for any meal. They are low calorie and filling…making them great for those watching their food intake.


Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes
Grown year round in nutrient-rich volcanic soils where the days are warm and the nights are cool, Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes are produced under ideal conditions to create an irresistibly sweet potato. Our Baby Dutch Yellow® has a distinct, yellow flesh with a subtle flavor and a creamy texture. These are one of the best tasting potatoes on the market today. They are naturally sweet and taste like they are already buttered. Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes are an excellent source of fiber and potassium, and low in calories. They are great when baked, roasted, and mashed or sautéed. They are also delicious in potato salad, too.


Check out our DYPs® Cookbook, too!


Steamed Baby Red Beets
Melissa’s Baby Red Beets are ready to use without the trouble of trimming, peeling and steaming. We have taken all the mess out and left only the good stuff in! These delicious baby red beets taste so fresh because of our innovative packaging to keep the freshness in and the bitterness out. No one will ever know these beets came out of a package! These tasty beets come from France, a country well known for beets. We don’t add any additives or preservatives-they are all natural to keep that great tasting flavor until the very end!

Baby Red Beets should be kept in the refrigerator and used once opened. Beets are very nutritious, a great source of fiber, have no cholesterol and are low calorie. They will add color and flavor to your main dish, salad or side dish.


Pearl Onions
Pearl Onions are members of the lily family. They are thought to have originated in Southern Europe. Pearl Onions are available in three colors: White, red and gold. They are available all year around and Melissa’s offers them packaged several ways. Pearl onions are a mild onion, about 1-inch in diameter. They have a papery skin and look like a miniature regular onion. Pearl Onions are very popular around the holidays. They are generally used in vegetable sautés, casseroles or creamed in a side dish. Pearl onions are great on skewers or in sauces too.

To peel pearl onions, blanch them in boiling water, and then plunge them into cold water. Cut off the root end, and squeeze the onion out of the skin. It is very simple and easy for such a delicious treat. Pearls should be stored in a cool dry place, just as you would a large onion. They are very low calorie, and very low sodium with some iron and vitamin C.


Steamed Black-eyed Peas
These small beige colored peas are commonly referred to as “cowpeas”. They get their name because of the black spot on each pea, looking like an eye. They were believed to have originated in North Africa where they were a staple food for Greeks and Romans. Many years later, they appeared in the “New World”, possibly brought in by the Spanish explorers. Black-eyed peas earned a reputation for good luck once eaten during the New Year celebration. They are very popular eaten in the Southern US, but more so during New Years celebrations.

Most black-eyed peas are packaged dry, but Melissa’s black-eyed peas are steamed and vacuum sealed in a ready- to-use package. They make great dips and are delicious in casseroles. Black-eyed peas are very low in fat and are an excellent source of folic acid.


Fresh Ginger Root
Ginger has been a popular root for thousands of years. Its origination is unknown, but it is believed to come from Southeast Asia. Ginger was considered a food preservative before there was refrigeration. It has also been considered for many medicinal purposes. Today, ginger is grown in several countries. Ginger is irregularly shaped with knobby “fingers”. The pieces are often referred to as hands. It is available all year around, making it an essential in several cultures.

Ginger is best when used immediately, but can be frozen in pieces and used as needed. It can also be refrigerated for a week or two, but may tend to dry out this way. Ginger is generally peeled before using. It can be grated, chopped, minced or sliced for recipes. Ginger will add a delicious spice flavor to any recipe. Ginger is great in tea, stir fry, crystallized, in dessert or any main dish recipe.


Steamed Baby Potatoes
This is the newest addition to our steamed line of products. These baby white potatoes are ready-to-eat out of the package… perfect for quick and easy potato salad. Or, heat them up for the perfect side dish. Use them as an ingredient in place of your usual potatoes. Save time by using these instead of starting from scratch. They are delicious and nutritious with no added preservatives.