TPWC Member Highlight: Pacific Coast Producers

TPWC Member Highlight: Pacific Coast Producers

Get the scoop on TPWC member, Pacific Coast Producers. We are proud to have this family-run company as part of the tomato community!

Pacific Coast Producers started in 1971 with their first location in Lodi, California. Since then they have expanded their company, and offerings, with locations across the entire Pacific Coast. They were founded by farmers as an agricultural cooperative. Their passion for growing quality crops allows them to work with other farmers that share the same values. Pacific Coast Producers have made it their mission to meet the brand requirements of their customers, while providing world class service at a competitive price.

Pacific Coast Producers make a variety of canned fruit products, along with an entire line of tomato goods. Their tomatoes are offered as whole, diced, crushed, or pureed, as well as pizza sauce, marinara, salsa, enchilada sauce. Along with several products to choose from, they also have organic products, ensuring that every customer has what they need to be successful in their own business.

The majority of tomato growers are in the Woodlake and Los Banos areas of California and 95% of their tomatoes are grown within a 17 mile radius of the Woodlake processing plant. This close proximity allows them to make quality tomato products at peak freshness. It can take less than 24 hours to take a tomato from a vine in the field to a finished product ready for use.

At Tomato Wellness, we help with their annual Registered Dietitian Tour every year, but because of the lockdown, you can now get to experience the tour virtual: The Heart of California Tour 2020

Here are just a few recipes highlighting their quality products.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Polenta and Steam Peeled Tomatoes
Vegan California Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

Easy English Muffin Pizzas

Easy English Muffin Pizzas

Easy English Muffin Pizzas

Easy English Muffin Pizzas

Most kids don’t even get close to their daily fiber needs, and this recipe offers 5 grams of fiber per serving. It’s also packed with whole grain goodness and phytonutrients, plant-based compounds that offer immune protection and health benefits. If you have any left-over mushroom meat sauce, serve it over whole-grain pasta with a side salad for tomorrow’s dinner.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 8 onces 99% lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ¼ cups pizza sauce
  • Dash black pepper
  • 8 whole-wheat English muffins (16 halves)
  • 1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

    1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes.

    2. Add mushrooms, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and sauté for 2 minutes.

    3. Add ground turkey. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes, using a spatula to break apart. Stir in Italian seasoning.

    4. Add pizza sauce and black pepper, and mix over low heat for 3 minutes.

    5. Preheat often to 400°F.

    6. Separate whole English muffins into 16 halves, place on a baking sheet, and toast for 2 minutes.

    7. Top each muffin half with about 3 tablespoons of the pizza sauce mixture and 1 tablespoon shredded cheese.

    8. Place in the oven, and cook for 5 minutes, until cheese melts.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

2 English muffin pizza halves each

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 259Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 435mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 16g

Recipe by Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE, author of the Super Crew kids’ book series, and founder of SuperKidsNutrition.com, the first kids’ nutrition mega website created in 2006.

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Cupboard Minestrone Soup

Cupboard Minestrone Soup

Cupboard Minestrone Soup

I’ve always believed that classic, comforting soups can be the foundation of a healthy, delicious meal! Based on canned vegetables, canned tomato soup, dried pasta, and dried herbs, this budget- and kid-friendly minestrone soup recipe can be made from pantry staples in 25 minutes. Serve it with a side salad or grilled sandwich to make it a meal.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (10.75-ounce each) cans tomato soup, condensed
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can cut green beans, with liquid
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can sweet corn, with liquid
  • 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, with liquid
  • 1 cup whole grain elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or may substitute with dried oregano)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

    1. Heat water in a large pot.

    2. Add onion, carrots, and garlic. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

    3. Add tomato soup, green beans with liquid, corn with liquid, white beans with liquid, macaroni, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.

    4. Cook for 15-20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.

    5. Serve immediately.

Notes

Top the salad with tortilla chips for extra crunch.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1½ cups

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 440mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 10g

Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN is known as The Plant-Powered Dietitian. Based in Ojai, California, she is an expert in plant-based, sustainable eating and the author of four books.

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Crispy Chickpea Bulgur Bowl with Romesco Sauce

Crispy Chickpea Bulgur Bowl with Romesco Sauce

Crispy Chickpea Bulgur Bowl with Romesco Sauce

Crispy Chickpea Bulgur Bowl with Romesco Sauce

Romesco sauce is a traditional Spanish sauce that features roasted red peppers and tomato paste. Our version is weeknight-friendly and doesn’t require a blender or food processor. Mediterranean staples like eggplant, chickpeas, and bulgur round out this plant-based grain bowl.

Prep Time 50 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • Bulgur Bowl:
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, reserving liquid
  • 1 large eggplant, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • ½ cup whole grain cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup bulgur, uncooked
  • 3 cups water

Romesco Sauce:

  • 3 roasted red peppers, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 (6-ounce) tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons almond meal
  • 1/3 cup water

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

    2. Place eggplant in a bowl with chickpea liquid, stirring to coat eggplant. Mix in cornmeal until coated.

    3. Transfer the breaded eggplant to a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

    4. Mix chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, and paprika in a mixing bowl. Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet with the eggplant. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

    5. Bake for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the chickpeas and eggplant so that they brown evenly, then bake for another 15 minutes.

    6. Combine the bulgur and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Remove from heat but keep the lid on.

    7. To make the Romesco sauce, add roasted pepper, olive oil, paprika, tomato paste, almond meal, and water to a small pot, and cook on low heat, whisking until well combined. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.

    8. To serve, divide the bulgur, eggplant, chickpeas and Romesco sauce into four bowls as follows: 1 cup bulgur, ¾ cup eggplant, ¼ cup chickpeas, and ¼ cup Romesco sauce. Serve warm.

Notes

You can roast bell peppers, or buy them prepared in a jar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 bowl

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 570mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 12gSugar: 9gProtein: 14g

Recipe by Kelly LeBlanc, MLA, RD, LDN, the director of nutrition at Oldways, a nonprofit organization helping people rediscover the healthy, sustainable joys of the “old ways” of shared cultural traditions.

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Classic Tomato Beef Stew

Classic Tomato Beef Stew

Classic Tomato Beef Stew

Classic Tomato Beef Stew

When I think back to my childhood and our many evenings around the family dinner table, a few recipes fondly come to mind, including this hearty and delicious beef stew. My dad was a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, so my mom made it often. Lucky for me, she passed the recipe down from her recipe box to mine.

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 quart beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 pound thin-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon gold or creamer potatoes), unpeeled, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 6 fresh thyme sprigs)

Instructions

    1. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper. Toss until well coated. Set aside.

    2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

    3. Add the meat. Cook, stirring a few times, until the meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

    4. Add ¼ cup water and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

    5. Raise the heat to medium high. Add broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, and thyme. Stir until combined. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the beef and vegetables are fork tender, about 1½ hours.

Notes

For a thicker stew, place 1 additional tablespoon of flour in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons cold water; stir until smooth. When the stew is done, add the flour/water mixture, stir, and simmer 3 more minutes to thicken.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1¼ cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 454mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 22g

Recipe by Liz Weiss, MS, RDN of Liz’s Healthy Table, a cookbook author, host of the EAT, DRINK, LIVE LONGER podcast, and wellness and nutrition expert based in Boston, MA.

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