Volume 11, Issue 86 - October 30, 2006

Good Day Member,

I hope your weekend was enjoyable. This week the Foodservice Daily Newsletter will be hosted by the Texas Red Grapefruit Industry. We have some amazing recipes for you, but first a bit of history...

The History of Texas Grapefruit:

The origin of the grapefruit, also known by the Latin name, Citrus Paradisi, is somewhat obscure. It is thought that the grapefruit was first found in Barbados during the 1750's as a mutation of the pummelo. Years later, research confirmed that grapefruit is a hybrid of a pummelo (citrus grandis), and the sweet orange (citrus sinensis).Originally known as "the forbidden fruit", it wasn't until the 1800's that a Jamaican farmer called the fruit "grapefruit" for the grape-like cluster in which it grows on trees. During this time, it's believed that grapefruit made its way to the United States in the form of seeds brought by either Spanish or French settlers to Florida. Eventually, grapefruit made its way to South Texas, most likely by visiting Spanish missionaries.

The first reported planting of a grove in Texas was 1893. Initial grapefruit plantings in Texas were the white varieties, followed by pink varieties. John H. Shary, a developer originally from Omaha, Nebraska, was so impressed by the small crop raised by early citrus experimenters that he felt citrus was the crop of the future for Texas. Shary, also known as the "Father of the Citrus Industry", combined his interest in growing citrus with the latest irrigation techniques and a determination to sell valley citrus commercially. In 1914, he bought 16,000 acres of brush land and after clearing it, proceeded to grow his first crop of seeded white grapefruit.

The first commercial shipment of citrus - packed in onion crates - left the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas in 1920. It was about the time of the great stock market crash in 1929 when an accidental discovery of red grapefruit growing on a pink grapefruit tree gave rise to the Texas Red Grapefruit Industry. In the late 1920's and early 1930's redder bud mutations were found in numerous groves. Each new finding was named for the grower who found it.

Source: TexaSweet.com

TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Pick Texas Citrus. Shippers, Nutrition, Newsletters, Gift Fruit and Great Recipes. Pink Grapefruit at its Finest.

Texas Rio Star Grapefruit and Mint Salsa

Makes 2 to 3 cups salsa

Ingredients:

2 Texas Rio Star grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, reserving 2 tablespoons juice
1 small red bell pepper, roasted and peeled (directions follow) or 1 4-ounce jar diced pimento, drained
12 fresh mint leaves, sliced into chiffonade (directions follow)
1 fresh jalapeño, minced (see cook's tip below)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

Preparation:

Cut the grapefruit sections into chunks and set aside.

To roast bell pepper, place it on its side directly on racks of gas burners. Turn the flame on high. Pepper can also be roasted under the broiler about two inches from the heat. Roast pepper, turning with tongs, until all sides are blackened, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic and steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel pepper, remove membranes and seeds and dice into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Rinse and dry the mint leaves. Stack the leaves and roll them starting with the bottom of the leaves, into a tight roll. Slice the roll to create thin strips or ribbons (chiffonade). Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine grapefruit sections, mint ribbons, diced bell pepper and jalapeño.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons reserved grapefruit juice and olive oil. Pour over grapefruit mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt.

Serve at room temperature over grilled fish, chicken or pork.

Cook's Tip: Wear plastic or rubber gloves when mincing the jalapeño. For a milder flavor, remove seeds.

Recipe by: Executive Chef Kevin Eichensehr, ARAMARK @ Nvidia Corp., Santa Clara, CA

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History Continued...

With several red grapefruit varieties and names being shipped commercially, keeping track of it soon became a marketing problem. So all the red varieties of fruit started being marketed under the name "Ruby". The "Ruby" Red Grapefruit was the first grapefruit to be granted a U.S. patent. Following freezes in 1949, 1951, and 1962, Texas eliminated its white and pink varieties, and set out to establish its reputation for growing the red grapefruit. During the 1970's, several important mutations found on the "Ruby" trees produced fruit even redder than the 1929 Ruby Red grapefruit. Each finding again took the name of the grower who discovered it.

Dr. Richard Hensz of the Texas A&I Citrus Center (now known as the A&M Citrus Center) spent many years in the laboratory, working to produce the reddest grapefruit through mutations induced by ionizing radiation. In 1970 the Star Ruby variety was released followed by the Rio Red variety in 1984. With so many red varieties with varying degrees of redness, the industry was again faced with a marketing dilemma. To differentiate the Texas sweet, red grapefruit - a superior tasting grapefruit - from those other grapefruit, the industry now markets its fruit under two registered trademarked categories: Ruby-Sweet and Rio Star.

The South Texas sub-tropical climate, fertile soil, and sunny weather work together to provide excellent growing conditions unique to the area. Texas citrus growers carefully maintain crop quality through successful irrigation techniques, growing conditions and extensive research. Texas grapefruit is tree-ripened and hand-picked to ensure the best quality possible. After picking, area shippers wash, inspect, grade and hand-pack the fruit. It's then shipped to supermarkets across the United States. and Canada.

Source: TexaSweet.com

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Salmon Crab Cakes with Chipotle Orange Salsa

Makes about 8 crab cakes

Ingredients:

1 can (6 ounces) skinless, boneless pink salmon
1 can (6 ounces) fancy lump crabmeat
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup prepared chipotle-flavored salsa
1 Texas orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1/4 cup fresh squeezed Texas orange juice
1 Texas Rio Star grapefruit, sectioned

Preparation:

In bowl, combine salmon, crabmeat, breadcrumbs, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and egg white. Shape crabmeat by 1/4 cupfuls into small rounds, then slightly flatten. In large skillet, heat oil. Cook over medium heat, 10 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, combine salsa, oranges and juice. Place crab cakes on plates, then spoon over salsa. Garnish with grapefruit and orange sections.