Mendocino Farms now open inside Whole Foods Market in Tustin, California

Co-Founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen pitched Whole Foods Market with this “store within a store” concept since their belief in supporting local farms and food products are in line with each other. The concept took a few years to develop but finally November 17, 2016 marked the grand opening of this new concept inside Whole Foods Market in The District at Tustin Legacy. Scarborough Farms provides salad greens, Drake Family Farms provides the cheese, and Drago Bakery provides the bread for every Mendocino Farm location. 

The interior has all the creature comforts of a Mendocino Farms with huge menus welcoming guests as they enter the queue. The counter and kitchen are also set-up similar with guests ordering at the counter and receiving a light-up pager when their food is ready. 

You can also see the fresh deli salads on display to get your taste buds ready. 

Mendocino Farms also shares a dining room with Whole Foods Market’s Hangar Bar which serves local beer and curated wines by the glass. 

Let’s take a look at some of the menu items: 

A Sandwich Study of Heat ($10.25, can be requested gluten-free) is made with shaved, roasted turkey breast, smoked gouda, smashed avocado, chili aioli, jalapeno relish, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce on a panini-pressed rustic white. A side of salsa quemada can also be requested. This is a refreshingly light turkey and avocado sandwich that comes with a side order of heat. The smoked gouda help cut through the heat and adds a creamy and smoky layer to the overall flavor. The salsa quemada is a must as it adds a robust flavor with zesty and spicy kick. Rating: 4.3/5 

Drake Farms Celebration Sandwich ($11.45, can be requested gluten-free) is made with Creminelli prosciutto, Herbes de Provence-marinated Drake Farm’s goat cheese, fig chutney, basil pesto, slivered almonds, arugula, and lemon on toasted buckwheat. This sandwich is a perfect blend of sweet, salty, herby, creamy, and nutty. Imagine a charcuterie board served in a sandwich! I am in love with this sandwich! It would be great paired with a glass of wine from the Hangar Bar. Rating: 5/5 

Mendo’s Chicken Cobb Salad ($12.45) is made with shaved, roasted free range chicken breast with balsamic glaze drizzle, a blend of butter and romaine lettuce, Applewood smoked bacon, crumbled bleu cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, red onions, and hard-boiled egg with mustard vinaigrette. Chicken can be substituted with carved steak for an extra $1. This is a healthy-portioned salad and has all the essential items of a cobb salad. The dressing is just little too mustardy for me. I think I would request a substitution of balsamic vinaigrette next time. Rating: 4.3/5

French Green Beans & Drake Farms Feta ($4.50, gluten-free) is made with shaved fennel, Kalamata olives, and toasted almonds in a creamy lemon salsa verde dressing. This is an absolutely beautiful deli salad! The green beans are crisp and sweet. The feta and Kalamata olives add just the right amount of salt to the mix. I am not a big fan of fennel, but having it shaved into the salad actually works for me so the flavor is not so intense. The almonds add a nice crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Rating: 5/5

Curried Couscous ($4.50, vegan) is made with roasted cauliflower & carrots. I love Israeli couscous! They are like little pearls of goodness. The curry flavor works really well with the couscous adding its fragrant flavor and aroma. The carrots add a slight sweetness and color to the salad. Rating: 4.5/5

Marinated Red Beets & Quinoa ($4.50, gluten-free) is made with citrus, green apples, dried cranberries, honey roasted almonds, Scarborough Farm’s baby arugula in a citrus vinaigrette. I love quinoa and could eat it every day! This salad is amazing with a vibrant purple color. It leans more toward the sweet side from the beets and slightly tart green apple. The arugula adds a bitter flavor which balances well with the sweet and tart. The citrus vinaigrette helps to brighten up the salad as the quinoa absorbs all of these great flavors in every bite. Rating: 5/5

Whether you’re shopping at Whole Foods Market or just need a quick stop for a meal, make Mendocino Farms your next stop!

Special Event:

• Family Fun Day at Whole Foods Market Tustin on Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. They are breaking a six-foot loaf of bread to commemorate the new in-store restaurants and grand re-opening of the updated store. There will be food and beverage sampling, a kid-friendly band and face painting, games like cornhole and spin-the-wheel for prizes, plus a DJ spinning throughout the day. Kids eat FREE in Hangar Bar and Mendocino Farms with the purchase of any full-size entrée.

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars

Décor: 5 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Mendocino Farms (inside Whole Foods Market)

2847 Park Ave.

Tustin, CA 92782

+1.714.619.5075

Hours: Daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Parking: Free parking in The District at Tustin Legacy shopping center

Seating: Interior and exterior

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Pereg Gourmet “spices” up the market with its natural food and spice products

Pereg Gourmet Company celebrated their 100^th anniversary this year. Even a hundred years later, it is still a family business with inherent history, expertise, professionalism, and know-how passed down to each generation. Pereg Gourmet produces more than 60 varieties of spices, spice blends, herbs, and natural food products like alternative flours and grains, pastas, cereals, salts, and more. All products are pure, fresh, and natural with no additives, preservatives, or food coloring. With more people developing gluten intolerance or just trying to be health-conscious, Pereg Gourmet fills the need for a viable alternative for people to eat what they love – baked goods, pastas, cereals – along with spicing up ordinary dishes with exotic spices. Pereg is also OU Certified, the world’s most recognized and trusted kosher trademark.

Let’s take a look at some of Pereg Gourmet’s products:

Farro Multi-Purpose Flour ($5.75) is made from 100% whole ground farro in a 16 oz. resealable bag. It is GMO-free, vegan, and kosher, but contains gluten. The flour has a whole wheat, nutty flavor.

A recipe to try is right on the back of the package, Mini Farro Caprese Pizzas. There are some misprints in the recipe so please follow the ingredient measurements and directions below and watch the YouTube video above for more tips. This pizza is great. The wheaty, nutty flavor works well with the caprese toppings. Mangia!

Mini Farro Caprese Pizzas (edited by OC Food Diva)

Prep time: 60 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Makes: 2 small pizzas or 4 mini pizzas

Ingredients

1 package of Pereg Gourmet Farro Flour (almost 2½ cups)

¾ cup multi-purpose flour + extra for dusting and rolling

1 package (.25 ounces) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2½ very warm water (about 110-120°F)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 tomatoes on the vine, washed and sliced

16 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into slices

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine farro flour, multi-purpose flour, yeast, and warm water in a bowl. Let the batter get foamy and then rest for 30 minutes. Stir in olive oil and salt. Knead together into a ball on a floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and coat with olive oil. (If you have a pizza stone, preheat the stone in the oven. Coat pizza peel with corn meal to help launch the pizza on to the stone.) Divide dough into 2-4 pieces and flatten into round pizzas. (If making the mini pizzas, separate each round by at least 1 inch to ensure room for rising and baking.) Add tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bake for 25 minutes until cheese melts and crust is browned. Top with basil leaves and olive oil.

Almond Meal Flour ($9) is a multi-purpose flour made from 100% blanched almonds in a 12 oz. resealable bag. It is gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, and kosher. The flour has an almond flavor and aroma.

A recipe to try is on the back of the package, Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche. Ingredients include: Pereg Almond Meal Flour, shallot, spinach, coconut oil, eggs, milk, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, goat cheese, and rosemary. This recipe is amazing and is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even dinner. The almond meal flour has more texture than a plain flour pie dough. It has a nutty flavor with a crispy, graham cracker texture. The spinach, goat cheese, and rosemary marry together for the perfect bite each time.

Chickpea Multi-Purpose Flour ($5.75) is a multi-purpose flour made from 100% chickpeas in a 16 oz. resealable bag. It is gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, and kosher. The flour has a nutty aroma and roasted nutty flavor.

A recipe to try is on the back of the package, Rosemary Socca – with chickpea flour. Socca is a crepe/pancake that originated in the Provence region of France. Ingredients include: Pereg Chickpea Flour, warm water, extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, salt, and cracked black pepper. It is best served in wedges as it does not fold easily like a normal crepe and will break and tear. Using a cast iron skillet gives it a toasted chickpea flavor. This would be great with alongside crudités with dips like hummus and ranch dressing.

Buckwheat Multi-Purpose Flour ($5.75) is a multi-purpose flour made from 100% buckwheat in a 16 oz. resealable bag. It is gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, and kosher. The flour has a grassy aroma and nutty flavor.

A recipe to try is on the back of the package, Savory Buckwheat Crepes. Ingredients include: Pereg Buckwheat Flour, milk, eggs, olive oil, and kosher salt. Even though this is a savory crepe, its nutty flavor lends itself nicely as sweet crepe as well. The crepe is great as a wrap for a quick sandwich (turkey, cheese, and spinach) or a quick dessert crepe (Nutella spread inside and topped with raspberry dessert sauce).

Quinoa Multi-Purpose Flour ($5.75) is a multi-purpose flour made with 100% quinoa in a 16 oz. resealable bag. It is gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, and kosher. The flour has a grassy aroma and wheaty, grassy flavor.

A recipe to try is on the back of the package, Quinoa Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Ingredients include: Pereg Quinoa Flour, almonds, grapeseed oil, sugar, chocolate chunks, and baking soda. The aroma as it bakes reminds you of grandma’s kitchen with the scent of caramelized sugar and chocolate. The cookies puff up like macarons and taste like a nutty, soft energy bar. These would be great to take on a hike/run for a quick energy boost.

Coconut Multi-Purpose Flour ($5.75) is a multi-purpose flour made with 100% coconut in a 16 oz. resealable bag. It is gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, and kosher. The flour has a sweet coconut aroma and sweet nutty, coconut flavor.

A recipe to try is on the back of the package, Coconut Flour Biscuits. Ingredients include: Pereg Coconut Flour, eggs, baking powder, salt, coconut oil, and brown rice syrup. As the dough comes together, it is reminiscent of pâte à choux dough as it is very light and the yolks give it that golden pastry color. The biscuits are very thick and hearty, unlike a buttermilk biscuit which is light and flaky. These would be great as the backdrop for a strawberry shortcake as the biscuits are a bit on the sweet side.

Pereg Chicken Mixed Spices ($3.79) is a blend of paprika, garlic, salt, and onions, which is perfect for chicken. It is gluten-free, kosher, and does not contain MSG, additives, or preservatives. It is slightly salty but has big smoky flavor from the paprika with hints of garlic and onion.

I used this as the seasoning for my famous roast chicken along with ruby gold potatoes. The paprika adds a nice color to the chicken as it roasts. It just needs a little more salt for my taste, but if you are watching your salt intake, this seasoning will be perfect for you.

Pereg BBQ Mixed Spices ($3.79) is a blend of cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, allspice, and coriander, which is perfect for barbequing meats. It is gluten-free, kosher, and does not contain MSG, additives, or preservatives. This blend is aromatic from the cumin, allspice, and coriander with an herbaceous, smoky flavor.

I used this as a seasoning for a roast pork shoulder (not kosher) along with some garlic cloves and kosher salt. I added kosher salt as it is not apparent in the spice mix, but if you are watching your salt intake, you don’t need to add more. The mix of spices helped caramelize the skin for a crispy bark. The pork could have used a bit more seasoning; maybe mixing the spice blend with water and injecting into the meat would help.

Spice up your life with Pereg Gourmet!

For more information:

Pereg Gourmet

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