Imagine what would happen if your Hawaiian pizza took a trip to Italy… Meet the Spicy Pancetta Grape Pizza. The sweetness of bright, juicy red grapes balance out fiery Calabrian chilies and salty pancetta in this Italian twist on Hawaiian pizza.
It’s the last day of National Peach Month, and we’re finally sharing our family recipe for peach cobbler with all of you! This has been a family favorite for many years, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We may or may not eat it for breakfast.
Ingredients:
3lbs of HMC Farms peaches
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup pancake mic
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°
Toss peaches with brown sugar in a greased 9″ square baking dish
Combine pancake mix, sugar, and cinnamon
Stir egg into the dry mixture until it becomes crumbly
Top peaches with crumble mixture and top with melted butter
Bake for about 45 minutes, until topping is a golden brown
If you’ve tasted our proprietary HMC Farms® Plumsicle™, you already know that the flavor is unlike any other piece of fruit. The taste reminds us of a frozen treat from the ice cream truck on a hot summer day, and we were inspired to create our own version of that creamy, frosty goodness in our farm kitchen to get us through this heat wave. We know it’s hard not to eat Plumsicles when they’re right in front of you, so grab an extra bag to snack on while you make this Plumsicle ice cream.
We used our home ice cream maker for this recipe. You may need to adjust the portions depending on the size of your ice cream maker.
Ingredients:
1 bag of HMC Farms Plumsicle, pits removed (about 2lbs)
Half and half – ¼ gallon + 1 cup
1 cup sugar
Splash of vanilla
Pinch of salt
Start by rinsing off your Plumsicles and carefully remove the pits. We like to leave the skin on for little pockets of extra Plumsicle flavor, but if you can’t come to terms with the skin in your ice cream it’s okay to remove it. Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. If you want some Plumsicle chunks, try blending all of the other ingredients first, and then adding Plumsicle and using the pulse blend option to leave some chunks. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and use the manufacturer’s instructions. That’s it! An easy path to homemade Plumsicle ice cream that will make you look like a seasoned confectioner.
With so many holidays throughout the month of December, we find ourselves snacking constantly, and there’s no snack we love more than… well basically anything served on a board. Why do snacks taste so much better from a board? Honestly, it’s a mystery, but even our kids love a good snack board so we’ve rounded up some charcuterie board ideas from the HMC Farm Kitchen to get you through the holidays and into the new year.
Board #1: The winter classic
This is one of our favorite winter charcuterie boards. We started with HMC Farms red seedless grapes (of course), and added local almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, and salami—in fact, nearly everything on this board is grown or made in California. What we love most about this board is that it balances the sweetness of in-season fruit with the saltiness of salami and nuts and the bold flavor of our favorite cheeses. It’s a crowd-pleaser, and our go-to when hosting a small gathering or cocktails over Zoom.
What we used for the winter classic:
HMC Farms red seedless grapes
Pomegranates from the Central Valley
Almonds from the Central Valley
California pistachios
Two kinds of salami from Busseto Foods
Rainforest Crisps
Dubliner cheese from Kerrygold
Habanero and jalapeño cheddar from Yancey’s Fancy
Board #2: The vegetarian board
FYI: meat is not required for a delicious board of snacks. We said it. Honestly, why should meat eaters have all the fun? Whether you are a vegetarian, shifting toward a more plant-based diet, or simply not eating processed meats (hello, pregnant ladies!), this board is a great option to enjoy your board sans-meat (you can also ditch the cheese or swap for vegan cheese to make this a vegan board). Honestly, even if you’re an omnivore, you might not even notice the salami is missing—we didn’t!
What we used for the vegetarian board:
HMC Farms red seedless grapes
Oranges and pomegranates from the Central Valley
Red walnuts from the Central Valley
California pistachios
Marcona almonds
Brie cheese
Manchego cheese
Dubliner cheese from Kerrygold
Red wine cheese
Mini crisps
Rosemary from our backyard for garnish
Board #3: The charcuterie wreath
It took us a minute to get on board with the charcuterie wreath trend. It seemed like a waste to leave a giant gap where there should be a pile of yummy snack foods. However, with the holidays upon us, we concede that a charcuterie wreath is cute for Christmas gatherings. If you’ve got a plate so cute you don’t want to cover it up, or if your famous artichoke dip needs a home on your charcuterie board, this might be the perfect fit for you.
What we used for the charcuterie wreath:
HMC Farms red seedless grapes
California almonds
Salami
Manchego cheese
Cranberry white cheddar cheese
Served with a side of mini crisps
Board #4: The jarcuterie
This portable pint-sized snack is a promising pick when plating your preferences isn’t pleasant. (We are trying to compete with Peter Piper and his peppers here). A jarcuterie is an adorable way to refer to all of your favorite charcuterie board items served in jars. Why do we love jarcuteries? They remind us of Christmas stockings. There are layers of fun surprises, and you honestly never know what you’ll find at the bottom. You can easily customize jarcuteries for people with food allergies or dietary preferences that would make different foods overlapping on a board a bad idea. This is also a great way to prevent people from touching (or breathing on) all of the treats, and it’s pretty easy to make these little guys look just as adorable as a full spread. As a fun bonus, your uncle can’t hog all of the HMC Farms grapes if everyone gets their own portion.
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, which kicks off the holiday season. Holiday traditions often revolve around food, and if we’re being honest, food is one of the things we look forward to most throughout the holiday season. At HMC Farms, we eat what we grow, and that means that our Thanksgiving table includes plenty of HMC Farms table grapes! In the spirit of our farm table, we’ve gathered some ideas for you to add to your own Thanksgiving table. Let us know if you try any of these by tagging us in your photos on social media, or leaving a comment here on our blog.
Holiday charcuterie
Charcuterie boards are popular for a reason, and we love the versatility of a block of wood piled up with all of our favorite snacks. We used a variety of cheeses, fruit, and other snacks in this charcuterie board-see the list below. Vegetarians or vegans can easily adapt this to their dietary specifications by ditching the salami, and swapping out the cheese for dairy alternatives. Nut allergy? Swap out the nuts for more crackers or some veggies. As long as you keep the grapes, we approve!
Here’s what we used on our holiday charcuterie board:
HMC Farms red seedless table grapes
Aged white cheddar
Habanero & jalapeño cheddar
Two types of salami
Pomegranate
Almonds
Pistachios
Fig crisps
Sprigs of rosemary for greenery
Stuffing with roasted grapes
Tired of the same old boring stuffing with that turkey? Try mixing it up with the addition of roasted grapes! This is a winning choice because you can keep the same exact recipe (or box of mix) you always use, and just stir the roasted grapes in at the end. An additional bonus here is that roasting is a great option for grapes that are getting a little wrinkly or soft. Roasting grapes is as easy as plucking them off the stem, rinsing, tossing them in olive oil and a little bit of sea salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and popping them in the oven. The process is very simple, and you can up the ante a little bit here by adding thyme or rosemary when tossing the grapes in olive oil.
Looking for more on roasted grapes? Check out this guide from our friends at The Produce Moms.
Baked feta with roasted grapes
Yes, we are recommending two dishes that contain roasted grapes because they are really that good. If you haven’t tried roasted grapes before, you are truly missing out on a versatile topping or ingredient that can fit into many savory or sweet dishes. If you are a feta fan, you’ve probably tried the trendy baked feta pasta, and we don’t blame you. Quick and easy recipes are perfect to include in Thanksgiving, since you’re already spending plenty of time and effort on everything else. Rather than the main course, this is a great appetizer or side dish, or even the perfect centerpiece for your charcuterie board. Serve it with crackers or rustic bread and thank us later. You can find our recipe for baked feta and roasted grapes on our Instagram page or check out the similar recipe that inspired us on the Grapes from California website.
The crispness of fall is finally in the air on our farms, and that means we’re cooking up all of our fall favorites in our farm kitchen! One of our favorite holidays around here just so happens to be Halloween, and we’ve got some ideas for healthier Halloween treats featuring grapes from HMC Farms! These treats are kid and adult approved, so gather the whole family and swap out sugary sweets for nature’s candy!
Looking for the perfect snack for your favorite Halloween movie? Whip up a bowl of these monster eyes! This almost-too-cute-to-eat snack is simply HMC Farms green seedless grapes topped with candy eyes (trust us, the plastic googly eyes don’t taste good, so please don’t eat them). To stick the candy eyes to the grapes, use a small dab of your favorite nut butter or icing. Get the monster eye look by just adding candy eyes to the top layer of grapes, it’s tough to keep them stuck to the grapes on the bottom layer.
Having a full on Halloween movie marathon or party? Try this Halloween snack board! We used the bowl of monster eyes for the center, and surrounded them with HMC Farms red seedless grapes, ghost & bat veggie chips, string cheese ghosts, cheddar jack-o-lanterns, pretzels, almonds, and candy bones. We achieved the string cheese ghost and cheddar jack-o-lantern looks by using a permanent marker on the plastic wrappers. If you want to draw directly on the cheese, be sure to use a food-safe marker! You can easily add some spooky salami to this board, or swap the cheddar rounds for mandarins, but the monster eyes are a must!
If you look at our Halloween snack board and imagine your children fighting over the same string cheese ghost, or if the thought of other people’s hands touching your food haunts your dreams, try a charcuterie assortment! This is a perfect way to offer snacks to a skeleton crew, or a whole mob of zombies in your backyard. It’s also a great way to have the kids help put snacks together – let them wash and dry their favorite color of HMC Farms grapes and fill up their jar while older kids or adults create the salami & cheese skewers and strong cheese ghosts.
The jarcuterie is perfectly portable for a treat yo-self moment in your bathtub with a glass of wine, or for watching your favorite celebrities learn to dance on television.
If you’re using HMC Farms grapes in your Halloween snacks, be sure to tag us on Facebook and Instagram!
Anyone who grows backyard tomatoes knows that tomato season means fresh salsa, caprese salad, and BLT sandwiches all summer long. We’ve got some news for you… stone fruit is a great replacement for fresh tomatoes in many recipes! That’s right, HMC Farms peaches, plums, nectarines, and plumcots can replace tomatoes in some of your favorite dishes. We’ve assembled some of our go-to stone fruit swaps for you. Let us know your favorite ways to replace tomatoes with stone fruit in the comments!
Swap #1: Peach Salsa
Okay, peach salsa is fairly mainstream at this point, but it’s just so delicious that we had to mention it. While some people mix tomatoes and peaches to make peach salsa, we prefer to completely replace tomatoes with chopped peaches. Something about the combination of peaches and jalapeños makes this sweet and spicy medley perfect for chips, but it’s also really delicious on top of chicken, pork loin, or grilled fish. You can find our go-to peach salsa recipe here.
Swap #2: Nectarine Caprese Salad
Fresh mozzarella slices, basil, and… nectarines? Yes! If you’re looking for a fresh twist on a classic appetizer, look no further than nectarine caprese salad. The sweet-tart flavor of tree ripened nectarines, combined with buttery fresh mozzarella and basil plucked right from the garden is a flavor combo that rivals the original. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red peppers (if you like a little kick) for a treat that looks as good as it tastes. Rearrange this into little stacks on individual plates for low-contact meals, and your guests will feel extra special.
Swap # 3: Bacon Lettuce Plum Sandwiches
It may sound strange, but trust us on this one. You won’t be sorry if you ditch the tomatoes in that BLT and replace them with plums or plumcots. Crisp, savory bacon and sweet, juicy plums come together in a way that’s truly unexpected and tasty. Stack the plums, bacon, and lettuce on your favorite bread, and thank us later. Any type of plum or plumcot makes a great BLP sandwich, including Plumsicle™!
Pssst… Not a fan of pork? Turkey bacon is a great alternative, or you can swap for a plant-based bacon replacement to make this a vegetarian or vegan dish.
This recipe was created by The Produce Moms.
You can’t have a summer barbeque without the right sauce to go with it! A good BBQ sauce
brings warm weather and backyard fun to mind, no matter what time of year you enjoy it. There
are as wide a range of flavors of BBQ sauce as there are ways to use it – but nothing beats a
homemade sauce filled with fresh ingredients! Mix up this Plumsicle™ BBQ Sauce and give a
sweet new taste to a classic flavor.
How to Make Plumsicle BBQ Sauce
Sure, you can buy all kinds of BBQ sauce varieties in the store. But you won’t get the exact
flavor you’re looking for unless you make it yourself! Fortunately, this cookout essential is easy
to make in your own kitchen – and Plumsicle BBQ Sauce is no exception.
Featuring deliciously sweet Plumsicle along with garlic, red pepper, and other flavorful
ingredients, this BBQ sauce is a treat for the taste buds. Ketchup and brown sugar provide a
simple base for this sauce, but it’s the Plumsicles that give it a standout flavor.
Plumsicle BBQ Sauce starts in the blender. Chop the plums into smaller, blendable pieces
and add them to your food processor or blender along with the rest of the ingredients.
Homemade BBQ sauce has a bit more texture than the typical store-bought variety, but your
blender will make it smooth enough to slather on ribs, burgers, or pizza. Then just reduce it on
the stove, store it in a container (we used a canning jar), and serve it with your favorite summer
dish!
Ingredients
● 3 HMC Farms Plumsicles, pitted and chopped (skin stays on)
● 2 garlic cloves, minced
● 1/2 cup ketchup
● 1/4 cup brown sugar*
● 2 T Apple cider vinegars
● 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
● 1 tsp red pepper flakes
● Salt and pepper to taste
*Plumsicle is naturally very sweet. You may want to adjust the amount of brown sugar up or down, depending on how sweet you like your BBQ sauce.
Directions
1. Chop plums.
2. Put all ingredients in food processor or blender. Blend until smooth
3. Put in a cast iron skillet, reduce over medium heat. It should take about 10 minutes.
Savoring the Sweetness of Plumsicle
Want a new way to celebrate summer flavor? Plumsicle is just what
you need! This incredible plum variety is bursting with sweetness! It’s the perfect plum for
making tasty treats like these Wine Pops and Ice Pops or for blending into delicious sauces to
complement all of your favorite barbeque foods.
How will you know a Plumsicle when you see one? It’s one of the most eye-catching plums
around! Look for a yellow starburst of speckles dotting a deep, rich skin. Bite into one and you’ll
find juicy reddish-purple flesh that’s ideal for adding vibrant color to your recipes. And of course,
look for the HMC Farms logo! Look for Plumsicle at your local grocery store between
mid-June and late-July in one pound clamshells and two pound stand-up bags.
What did you think of this Plumsicle BBQ Sauce? Did it impress the neighborhood grilling
gourmand or your family’s cookout connoisseur? Leave a comment below, follow us on Facebook, or tag us in your plum-perfect photos on Instagram @HMCfarms and @theproducemoms.
Long days spent poolside are what summer dreams are made of. But when hunger strikes a dreamy day can quickly turn into a nightmare. Growling bellies turn happy swimmers into little sharks.
To keep everyone happily swimming and splashing, moms know great poolside treats are a must! Peach salsa is a perfect pool day snack. It’s light and refreshing. It’s sweet without added sugar or sweeteners.
Peaches are a good source of vitamins A and C. They also contain fiber, potassium, niacin, and vitamins E and K. One medium-sized peach contains less than 60 calories. You can always feel good about eating a peach!
Take tortilla chips for a dip. Serve peach salsa with either chips or crackers.
Grilling out? Peach salsa is excellent served on top of grilled chicken or fish. If you have extra peaches, throw a few on the grill for another sweet poolside treat!
Poolside Peach Salsa
Course
Snacks
Cuisine
Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly, Vegetarian
Prep Time
10minutes
Servings
servings
INGREDIENTS
4cupspeachesdiced
1/2cuppineapplediced
1/2cupred bell pepperdiced, seeds removed
1/2cupred onionminced
3tspjalapenominced, ribs and seeds removed
2/3cupcilantrochopped
2limesjuice only
saltto taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Place ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
RECIPE NOTES
Pineapple is optional.
For more heat, leave in some of the jalapeno seeds.
Grapes are a go-to choice when making a fruit salad or charcuterie board, but they are so much more versatile than that! One of the most surprising things about grapes is how great they are when roasted. This super easy recipe using HMC Farms grapes is a great way to elevate your appetizers and small plate offerings from home gatherings to catered events.
What you’ll need for about 16 pieces of crostini:
1 bunch of HMC Farms red seedless table grapes
Fresh ricotta cheese
1 medium-sized loaf of rustic bread
Fresh thyme or rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Optional: honey, balsamic glaze, or walnuts
Steps to roasted grape crostini bliss:
Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the grapes and let them dry. Tip: We chose to use HMC Farms sliced grapes, but you can choose whether to slice the grapes in half or leave them whole.
Spread the grapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with thyme or rosemary sprigs, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the grapes a bit on the pan and then place in the oven for about 8 minutes, checking after 5 minutes.
Tip: It’s okay for the grapes to split or wrinkle up, but avoid letting them burn.
While the grapes are in the oven, slice the bread to desired thickness (we prefer about ½”), brush one side with olive oil, and grill in a pan or on a griddle. Brush the other side with olive oil and flip. Remove from the pan when both sides look lightly toated.
Remove grapes from the oven and set the pan out to cool.
Spread fresh ricotta on one side of each piece of toasted bread. Add 4-5 grapes to the top of each piece, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme or rosemary.
Tip: These are great just the way they are, but there are also lots of options for additions to top off the appetizer. Try drizzling a little honey, olive oil, or balsamic glaze over the top, or even adding a few chopped walnuts!
