MONTEREY, CA — A new "Salad'tude" initiative from Dole will send the country's most expressive salad lovers to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa Valley, Calif., to help them hone their cooking and salad-making skills and take their appreciation of salad to the next level.
Dole Fresh Vegetables is reteaming with Clinton Kelly, star of TLC's "What Not to Wear" and ABC's "The Chew," for the DOLE Salads Salad'tude Contest. This latest initiative encourages salad lovers to connect to their Salad'tude — the notion that salad goes beyond food to encompass a wide range of positive emotions and experiences — from the familiarity of a family food tradition to the joy that comes from satisfying a specific taste or ingredient craving — which can be expressed through salad creation and sharing.
The world's largest provider of fresh fruits and vegetables, Dole introduced the concept of Salad'tude in 2011 as part of its long-term goal to inspire the country's millions of salad users to new heights of salad appreciation, creativity and personal expression. The multi-year program is consistent with the company's larger mission of increasing America's nutritional health by encouraging greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Launching this week and continuing through Dec. 11, 2012, the "DOLE® Salads Salad'tude Contest" will ultimately send six winners, on an elaborate, four-day, three-night culinary adventure at Greystone, the Napa Valley, Calif., campus of the CIA. Kelly, who has broadened his personal style and fashion expertise to include food and entertaining, will make a guest appearance at the event to share his personal Salad'tude — and how his childhood memories of family meals and cooking traditions inspired a series of new Dole fall and winter salad recipes.
"I love Dole's concept of Salad'tude, and how certain foods conjure up positive emotions and feelings," said Kelly. "I can still remember our family's summer lobster boil and my grandmother's Eggplant Parmesean and Pear Crunch Pie. Dole showed me how to transform these incredible memories into quick and easy salads that instantly take me back to my childhood."
Kelly first partnered with Dole in fall 2011 for "Clinton Kelly's Stylish Salad Sweepstakes," as part of the company's year-long "Find Your Inspiration" campaign.
To participate in Dole's latest contest, salad lovers are asked to use a personal story, poem, recipe or childhood memory to describe their personal "Salad'tude," which Dole is defining as the emotions that are expressed through salad. To that written expression, participants must add an original photo linking them or another salad lover to a specific salad creation or experience.
A panel of salad experts from Dole will judge the completed entries on the basis of inspiration, creativity and originality to arrive at 12 finalists. Finalists' entries will be posted on the DOLE Salads Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOLESaladGuide on Nov. 20, 2012, for two-plus weeks of public voting ending Dec. 11, 2012.
From that group of 12, six winners will be chosen according to the same criteria to attend the Dole Salad'tude Culinary Adventure at the CIA in Napa Valley in late spring or early summer 2013. The package includes round-trip airfare for the winner and one guest to Northern California, three nights' accommodation at the four-star Solage Hotel & Spa in Napa Valley; a professional wine-tasting class; a CIA customized, chef-led culinary training program; car rental, airport transfers and $1,000 in spending money.
To enter the contest, and for complete rules, eligibility and other details, go to http://salads.dole.com/saladtude-contest/?page=ContestDetails&step=details.
Clinton Kelly's Own Salad'tude
As part of his partnership with Dole, Kelly worked closely with the produce expert to translate his fondest food memories and experiences into three unique salad recipes featuring popular DOLE Salads blends and all-natural kits. Kelly's involvement ensured that the recipes would not only be tasty, but would lend themselves to a fun, relaxed and stylish dining experience.
"When entertaining, I want to make sure my guests are as comfortable as possible, which means a beautiful table, delicious dishes and a relaxed, welcoming environment," he said. "These three new Dole salad creations definitely fit the bill."
Grandma Kelly's Pear Crunch Salad, a new Dole recipe made with DOLE® Spring Mix, was inspired by Pear Crunch Pie, a Kelly family tradition created by Kelly's grandmother. To recreate the unique flavor profile, Dole combined its popular Spring Mix blend with fresh sweet pears, toasted coconut, goat cheese and almonds.
"Food is like a bridge back in time for me," he said. "Certain flavors and aromas just transport me in an instant. If I catch a whiff of toasted coconut, I'm right back in my grandmother's kitchen in San Francisco."
Another family memory — the Long Island lobster boil featuring shrimp, lobster and fresh corn-on-the cob all in the same pot — served as the genesis for Clinton's Family Picnic Salad with Shrimp. To reproduce the taste and feel of this childhood favorite, Dole and Kelly selected the DOLE Ultimate Caesar All-Natural Kit, which includes Parmesan and Romano cheeses, garlic croutons, and cracked pepper and herb seasoning. To this, they added fresh roasted corn and seasoned grilled shrimp to create a taste that Kelly says reminds him of "the freedom of being a kid."
Finally, Kelly's first Thanksgiving in his Connecticut home became Clinton Kelly's First Thanksgiving Salad, made with DOLE Extra Veggie™ with Grape Tomatoes. Starting with the new Extra Veggie™ selection that features fresh grape tomatoes inside the bag, Dole added roasted turkey breast, fried sage, roasted beets and dried cranberries to arrive at the perfect holiday salad.
For more information on DOLE Salads and Salad'tude, including recipes, serving suggestions and nutritional information, go to www.salads.dole.com.
About DOLE® Salads
DOLE Salads is one of the world's largest lines of packaged salads, with 28 unique salad blends and 10 all-natural salad kits. The line is supported by a comprehensive online library of salad and salad-related recipes, as well as various consumer-friendly tools like the on-pack DOLE® Salad Guide, Taste and Texture scales, and "Pairs well with" feature designed to inspire the country's millions of salad lovers to greater salad experimentation and in-kitchen creativity. For details, go to www.salads.dole.com or the DOLE Salads Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOLESaladGuide.
About Dole Food Company, Inc.
Dole, with 2011 net revenues of $7.2 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
Source: Dole Food Company, Inc.