Taking two delicious foods and mixing them together has become a sure-fire recipe for success in the food world. (We’re looking at you, Cronut™.) Now the mashup mania has reached into the produce aisle, with hybrid veggies beginning to appear on many menus. Creating one product that combines the best features of two popular types of vegetable, hybrids can extend the variety and interest in the standard roster of fresh options. They’re also a great way to add variety to today’s more veggie-centric plates.

Most exciting new product

One example is a small green and purple sprout with curly leaves variously being called Kalettes™, BrusselKale, lollipops and flower sprouts. The veggie was named the “most exciting” new product for 2015 by the International Chefs Congress. Tozer Seeds, which created the hybrid, describes it as “a fresh fusion of sweet and nutty.”

Another trending option is Broccoflower®, a broccoli-cauliflower hybrid originally developed in Holland and grown in the United States by Tanimura & Antle. The bright lime-green hybrid tastes similar to cauliflower when raw, but is milder and sweeter when cooked. Chefs are trying it roasted, in salads, or in colorfully distinctive mashes.

Start with apps

If you’re considering adding a hybrid veggie to your menu, consider this advice from Linda Hall, President, Culinary Strategy Network, a culinary and marketing services firm. “When you’re trying a new ingredient, creating appetizers makes for an easier entry point. And matching unusual ingredients with understandable common ingredients helps make them more accessible.” Hall suggests menu ideas like shredded kalettes sautéed with premium bacon or roasted broccoflower with lemon dipping sauce. “Pairing them with one already popular ingredient makes them seem less intimidating, but still intriguing on a menu.”

Read more

California chefs Rocky Maselli, executive chef at A16 and Galen Vasquez, chef de cuisine at Sons & Daughters, tell how they’re using kalettes on their menus.

Food blogger Amber Osterhout digs into a “new classic” broccoflower prep idea from the Kilpatrick Family Farm in Middle Granville, New York.

Recipes

Power Chicken Salad
Broccoli Slaw
Broccolini Salad

Resources

After years of treating “fat” as a dirty word, diners have done a 360 and are embracing the satisfaction and flavor that healthy fats can bring to their meals. One of the top-trending ingredients in the healthy fat category is avocados. According to the MenuMine Database from Foodservice Research Institute, more than one in every three foodservice operations (36.9%) lists items on the menu that mention either avocados or guacamole. Operators are responding to increased demand with creative twists to traditional avocado recipes, most often in salads, hot sandwiches and cold sandwiches.

Happy taste buds, healthier heart

The pear-shaped fruit is an excellent way to amp up flavor for diners who seek the satisfaction of healthy fats in their food. “Avocados act like mini ‘magic carpets’ on your tongue, carrying around taste and flavor, so all of your taste buds are happy,” says Rebecca Katz, MS; Founder, The Healing Kitchens Institute and author of The Healthy Mind Cookbook: Big-Flavor Recipes to Enhance Brain Function, Mood and Mental Clarity. “They are one of the healthiest fats you can consume — the kind that keeps inflammation under control and lowers the risk of heart disease.”

In addition to their role in decreasing inflammation, avocados are also high in the antioxidants called carotenoids, which support the immune system and brain health. “If you want to improve your mood, prevent cognitive decline and avoid heart disease, dig into an avocado,” Katz says. “I like my avocados with citrus in a salad, or just smooshed on whole grain toast with a little lime and sea salt.”

And, yes, ice cream

Avocado-based products for foodservice are also experiencing growth. Calavo Growers Inc.’s specialty division, makers of avocado-and-olive-oil mayonnaise AvoMayo, even has an avocado syrup to add to soft-serve ice cream bases.

Read more

Here are a dozen of the most creative avocado recipes around, from avocado brownies to avocado margaritas, curated by Bon Appetit.

Recipes

Bruschetta with Shrimp and Avocado
Steak & Avocado Specialty Sandwich

Resources

Rebecca Katz
Avocado Board Facts
California Avocados
Restaurant Trends