California Walnuts recently celebrated a unique California Walnut Food Festival Promotion hosted through Restaurant Associates.
The promotion, which ran from May 15-June 30, inspired the chefs at all Restaurant Associates-managed corporate accounts to explore unique and innovative ways of cooking with the Hardest Working Nut. A variety of walnut-centric food options were promoted (and relished by diners) throughout RA’s many corporate accounts during this exciting promotion.
California Walnuts also hosted a recipe contest for the Restaurant Associates’ culinary team to get their creative juices flowing. Contestants were encouraged to submit recipes which featured California walnuts outside of their traditional applications, while still maintaining Restaurant Associates’ corporate recipe guidelines. Judges used the following criteria to evaluate the submissions:
● Amount of walnuts incorporated (a minimum 1/2 cup per recipe was required)
● Creativity/originality
● Nutritional value
● Ease of preparation
● Visual appearance
The two-week entry window yielded an impressive array of recipes from various menu categories. Executive Chef Bill DeSoto’s (pictured) California Walnut Falafel, Grilled Flatbread and Tzatziki took first place.
For his award-winning recipe, Chef DeSoto won an all-expenses paid trip to the 2015 Flavor Experience this August at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. In addition, the following four contestants were also chosen as finalists for their inventive and mouth-watering walnut dishes:
● Portobello Mushrooms filled with Walnut Custard & Charred Onion Broth & Walnut Oil (Chef Sergio Lopez)
● Spicy California Walnut Quinoa Roll topped with Raw Zucchini and Walnut Pesto (Chef Bradley Alvelo)
● California Walnut “Bolognese” (Chef Brian Halladay)
● Toasted Walnut Ravioli with Smoked Chicken & Mascarpone, Pickled Cherries, Smoked Walnuts, and Balsamic (Chef Melanie Argulewicz)
Congratulations to Chef DeSoto and the four finalists, and special thanks to all those who entered!
