This girl?
Is Italiano.
It means I get a nice tan in the Summer and my temper flares from time to time. It also means that I have a deep love for Italian food. The flavors of basil and oregano fill me with happiness, and I am literally incapable of turning down a good pasta dish.
Tomatoes are a necessity when cooking Italian fare. Can we all agree there is nothing quite as delicious as a tomato fresh off the vine? Summer is the an amazing time for tomatoes, and I do my best to make batches of my Homemade Tomato Sauce to freeze for coming months.
Once Summer ends, good tomatoes are hard to come by. I've come to rely on quality canned tomatoes, and there are none quite like RedPack. Why RedPack? Unlike other farms that harvest multiple items, RedPack grows one thing only: tomatoes. Since 1962, they've been the go-to farmers for all things tomatoes. I love that when I open a can of RedPack tomatoes, I am in the presence of tomatoes that were canned fresh off the vine.
That means even in the middle of winter, I can make my delicious Homemade Tomato Sauce and I know it's fresh!
Tomatoes are more versatile than Italian food, though. The good people of RedPack recently sent me a gift pack, including 3 large lovely cans of their tomatoes, as well as some yummy tomato recipes. I was most intrigued by this one:
CHICKEN BLUEBERRY CHOPPED SALAD
Serves 6
- 2½ cups butter lettuce, chopped
- 2 ears grilled corn, cut off the cob or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 (28 ounce) can Redpack Petite Diced Tomatoes or 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Redpack Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained and rinsed
- 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup light raspberry vinaigrette
In a large salad bowl combine lettuce, corn, chicken, avocado, blueberries, Redpack Petite Diced Tomatoes, bacon and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper then toss thoroughly. Pour dressing over salad, and then toss once again. Serve with tortilla chips.
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DELECTABLE. There are so many great tastes, and the feta cheese adds the perfect bit of tang to the entire salad! Check out their website for more Summer Salad recipes.
RedPack is also giving away a Gourmet Salad kit worth $220 as well as 3,000 tote bags! To enter the “Toss in the Flavor” contest, head to their Facebook page and click on the Summer Salad Sweepstakes app!
And now that you are craving Italian food, pick up 6 large cans of whole peeled RedPack tomatoes and make my Homemade Tomato sauce for dinner this weekend! Your family with thank you!
Disclosure: I was provided a gift pack from RedPack as well as recipes to facilitate my review. I was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are my own!
