Salinas: Salad bowl of the world
August 14, 2001 | 12:00am
Salinas Valley is a two-hour drive from San Francisco. Called the "salad bowl of the world," Salinas is located on central California coast. It is a 15-minute drive from Napa Valley, and just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay.
Salinas is a beautiful area committed to preserving agriculture as a major industry. The city was born after Mexico seceded from Spain in 1822 and began granting rancho lands. Named for a nearby salt marsh, Salinas became the seat of Monterey County in 1872 and was incorporated in 1874.
At Driscolls, a renowned berry farm in Watsonville, I was spellbound to see and taste the sweetest cherries, strawberries and blueberries – served with warm dollops of homemade whipped cream. The setting is truly romantic. No wonder they filmed Jennifer Lopez’s movie The Wedding Planner here.
Strawberry tops the list of fruits high in anti-oxidants – important for disease prevention. Those beautiful berries also provide ellgic acid, which may reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. A splendid tour around the spectacular berry plantations proves it to be the labor of love of four generations. There is such commitment and know-how to produce these special berries that they’re patented! The secret ingredient – besides the premium plants in well-tended soil, innovative growing techniques, clean and careful harvesting – is people working behind the scenes. From the scientists studying new plant varieties, to the certified growers caring for the land, everyone is working to make the perfect berry. "It is a universal truth that if we all join hands and work for a collective good, prosperity won’t be far way," quipped the enthusiastic Lyndon Tan.
The AIM graduate is proprietor of Basic Necessity, the company that produces top-quality vegetables and fruits in our very own Tagaytay. This company is apparently deep into agriculture research to be able to bring the technology from the US to our beloved land. This way, we can locally produce top grade fruits and vegetables without having to import them. With the support of the Department of Agriculture, this dream will soon bear fruition.
Tan declared, "Tagaytay may even be the next Salinas!"
Driscolls owner Mr. Greenettes himself toured us around the magnificent vegetable paradise with hectares of plantations of lettuce, broccoli, peppers and tomatoes as far as the eyes can see. Lyndon explained that due to the persistent bad weather, his company propagates these same veggies in greenhouses using hydroponics. Hydroponics entails the growing of crops without using soil. Instead, a mixture of coco pith and sand is used under a controlled environment – thereby lessening bacteria contamination and increasing yield. Many greenhouses can be found in Tagaytay, Los Baños, Nueva Ecija, Baguio and elsewhere.
Recently, the Department of Tourism launched an agri-tourism campaign to aggressively promote agricultural and farming areas in the country. Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon identified three areas for farm tourism: the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija (site of the Philippine Carabao Center and the Philippine International Rice Research Institute), Oro Verde Holdings in Guimaras (producer of world-class mangoes), and the Del Monte pineapple plantation in Bukidnon (producer of the sweetest pineapples in the world).
From the Greenettes farm, we proceeded to the biggest portobello mushroom farm in the US. We could hardly believe that these gourmet delicacy is just grown in a barn. It is a very profitable business venture with low maintenance, minimal overhead. The mushrooms are incredibly easy to grow. We also checked out the very impressive Dole Fresh Vegetable plantation.
The climate in Salinas is also ideal for growing flowers, and grapes planted by world-famous vintners. Indeed, Salinas hospitality blends yesterday’s charms with today’s modern conveniences. The California Rodeo, California International Airshow and the world-famous Steinbeck Festival are major attractions of this diversely eclectic culture. A bit giddy from the wine sampling, we explored the Monterey Peninsula, the historic missions of San Jan Bautista, Soledad, Carmel, San Antonio de Padus and the Pinnacles National Monument.
Upon returning home, I compared the fruits and veggie samples from Salinas to the ones grown in Tagaytay. And guess what? They looked and tasted the same. Here’s a dessert recipe I tried in Salinas. Believe me, this is simply divine!
4 lbs. strawberries
3 lbs. smoked or poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
12 ozs. jicama, peeled and julienned
12 ozs. fennel, trimmed, sliced very thin
4 oz. green onions, sliced
2 1/2 lbs. mixed baby greens, cleaned, crisped
Dressing:
3 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 oz. shallots, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 qt. vegetable oil
1 pt. rice vinegar
1 pt. light soy sauce
1 cup sugar
8 ozs. hoisin sauce
2 ozs. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Rinse, drain, hull and slice strawberries. Portion 3 oz. berries, 2 oz. chicken, 1 oz. each jicama and fennel, 1 tsp. onion, 1 1/2 ozs. or 1 1/2 cups greens into salad bowl. Toss with 4 ozs. dressing. Serve on chilled plate. For the dressing, combine all ingredients. Whisk well before using. Refrigerate unused dressing.
E-mail me at miladay@i-manila.com.ph...
Salinas is a beautiful area committed to preserving agriculture as a major industry. The city was born after Mexico seceded from Spain in 1822 and began granting rancho lands. Named for a nearby salt marsh, Salinas became the seat of Monterey County in 1872 and was incorporated in 1874.
At Driscolls, a renowned berry farm in Watsonville, I was spellbound to see and taste the sweetest cherries, strawberries and blueberries – served with warm dollops of homemade whipped cream. The setting is truly romantic. No wonder they filmed Jennifer Lopez’s movie The Wedding Planner here.
Strawberry tops the list of fruits high in anti-oxidants – important for disease prevention. Those beautiful berries also provide ellgic acid, which may reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. A splendid tour around the spectacular berry plantations proves it to be the labor of love of four generations. There is such commitment and know-how to produce these special berries that they’re patented! The secret ingredient – besides the premium plants in well-tended soil, innovative growing techniques, clean and careful harvesting – is people working behind the scenes. From the scientists studying new plant varieties, to the certified growers caring for the land, everyone is working to make the perfect berry. "It is a universal truth that if we all join hands and work for a collective good, prosperity won’t be far way," quipped the enthusiastic Lyndon Tan.
The AIM graduate is proprietor of Basic Necessity, the company that produces top-quality vegetables and fruits in our very own Tagaytay. This company is apparently deep into agriculture research to be able to bring the technology from the US to our beloved land. This way, we can locally produce top grade fruits and vegetables without having to import them. With the support of the Department of Agriculture, this dream will soon bear fruition.
Tan declared, "Tagaytay may even be the next Salinas!"
Driscolls owner Mr. Greenettes himself toured us around the magnificent vegetable paradise with hectares of plantations of lettuce, broccoli, peppers and tomatoes as far as the eyes can see. Lyndon explained that due to the persistent bad weather, his company propagates these same veggies in greenhouses using hydroponics. Hydroponics entails the growing of crops without using soil. Instead, a mixture of coco pith and sand is used under a controlled environment – thereby lessening bacteria contamination and increasing yield. Many greenhouses can be found in Tagaytay, Los Baños, Nueva Ecija, Baguio and elsewhere.
Recently, the Department of Tourism launched an agri-tourism campaign to aggressively promote agricultural and farming areas in the country. Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon identified three areas for farm tourism: the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija (site of the Philippine Carabao Center and the Philippine International Rice Research Institute), Oro Verde Holdings in Guimaras (producer of world-class mangoes), and the Del Monte pineapple plantation in Bukidnon (producer of the sweetest pineapples in the world).
From the Greenettes farm, we proceeded to the biggest portobello mushroom farm in the US. We could hardly believe that these gourmet delicacy is just grown in a barn. It is a very profitable business venture with low maintenance, minimal overhead. The mushrooms are incredibly easy to grow. We also checked out the very impressive Dole Fresh Vegetable plantation.
The climate in Salinas is also ideal for growing flowers, and grapes planted by world-famous vintners. Indeed, Salinas hospitality blends yesterday’s charms with today’s modern conveniences. The California Rodeo, California International Airshow and the world-famous Steinbeck Festival are major attractions of this diversely eclectic culture. A bit giddy from the wine sampling, we explored the Monterey Peninsula, the historic missions of San Jan Bautista, Soledad, Carmel, San Antonio de Padus and the Pinnacles National Monument.
Upon returning home, I compared the fruits and veggie samples from Salinas to the ones grown in Tagaytay. And guess what? They looked and tasted the same. Here’s a dessert recipe I tried in Salinas. Believe me, this is simply divine!
4 lbs. strawberries
3 lbs. smoked or poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
12 ozs. jicama, peeled and julienned
12 ozs. fennel, trimmed, sliced very thin
4 oz. green onions, sliced
2 1/2 lbs. mixed baby greens, cleaned, crisped
Dressing:
3 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 oz. shallots, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 qt. vegetable oil
1 pt. rice vinegar
1 pt. light soy sauce
1 cup sugar
8 ozs. hoisin sauce
2 ozs. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Rinse, drain, hull and slice strawberries. Portion 3 oz. berries, 2 oz. chicken, 1 oz. each jicama and fennel, 1 tsp. onion, 1 1/2 ozs. or 1 1/2 cups greens into salad bowl. Toss with 4 ozs. dressing. Serve on chilled plate. For the dressing, combine all ingredients. Whisk well before using. Refrigerate unused dressing.
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