Fall Orchard Salad with California Prunes

At the beginning of September, I was lucky enough to visit Sonoma with the California Prune Board. I swear I had been manifesting to travel more and specifically, travel with an organization. When this opportunity presented itself I literally jumped up and down with excitement. The lush valleys of Northern California are something I’ve dreamed of for years -and the beauty, peaceful bliss and experience exceeded all expectations. Not only that, but I’ve been a fan of prunes for years. If you aren’t a fan currently, I assure you, I can convert you to one through this blog alone. Prunes have a stigma that I am more than prepared to break. 😉

While in Sonoma, we were able to observe and soak up knowledge from the entire process. Prunes are first a plum, technically called a sugarplum or French plum (you may have spotted these at a local market!) We truly learned why California Prunes are so much better. The growers focus on quality. Any prunes growing on the trees that are not up to the size standards won’t be moved along to the next step. Prunes from other foreign markets, like Chile, for example, will pick all of them without evaluating quality. This also helps create consistency in the product and guaranteed fresh and sweet taste. The harvest season is only 3 weeks long in August! After being picked from the trees, the prunes go through dehydration. This process is 18 hours long and the prunes will dry in 186 degrees. They’re then rehydrated before packaging. California is home to 800 growers and 28 packers with more than 150 years within their family lineage. It was amazing to learn from these growers, ask questions and hear about their family history. They all had such uniqueness and are so proud and passionate to do what they do. It was truly infectious!

I personally love how healthy California Prunes are with no unnecessary additives. They are naturally healthy! Eating them fresh off the tree was incredible.

Here are some fun facts I learned:

• Nothing is used to color the prune
• This size plum is higher in sugar, the sugar content is a natural preservative. This means there is NO need for additives in order for the prunes to store naturally. The low moisture, high sugar content helps avoid any molding.
• No chemicals are applied in the dryer

There are also tons of health benefits beyond helping with digestion! They are good for your gut, heart, and bones!:

• They are portable snack
• The sugar in prunes is slow-burning energy, but it has a low glycemic index, way lower sugar than dates!
• California Prunes provide dietary fiber, sorbitol, and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants
• Daily intake should be 5-6 prunes
• Prunes also have copper which aids in bone structure, as well as boron and several polyphenols that help with the regulation of bone-building and bone breakdown. Prevents the progression of osteoporosis
• Vitamin K helps to improve calcium balance and promotes bone mineralization. This is hard to find in anything other than leafy greens!
• For under 100 calories, a serving of 4-5 prunes has: ➢ No added sugar, no cholesterol, no sodium, and no fat. ➢ 3 g fiber (11% Daily Value). Fiber has been identified by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) as a nutrient of public health concern, as under-consumption of fiber has been linked to

We also ate the most delicious meals all integrated with California Prunes. They pair well with SO many other foods! I felt so inspired by all of this knowledge and was even inspired by the orchards themselves. I’m excited to share this fall take on a simple, clean, delicious recipe with all of the added benefits of deliciously sweet California Prunes. Listed below, this recipe will be perfect for any seasonal gatherings you host! I chose to make it vegan and use chickpeas as the protein, but feel free to add any chicken, shrimp, or fish if you’d like! This recipe will serve 4 people, or you can choose to split it into 4 meals for you to enjoy throughout the week. I made this with a friend, and it was the perfect lunch for us both. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out California Prunes online at www.CaliforniaPrunes.org and on social media @CAprunes.

Print Recipe

Fall Orchard Salad with California Prunes

A fall salad featuring California Prunes!

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

salads

Ingredients

• 1 bag chopped kale
• 1 cup California Prunes
• 1 delicata squash Cooked with olive oil or olive oil spray, cinnamom, sea salt and pepper
• 1 Honey Crisp Apple
• 1 cup pecans Cooked with coconut or olive or spray with cinnamon and pepper
• 1 can chickpeas Baked in oven with cinnamon, sea salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds

Dressing

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp manuka honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• sea salt
• pepper
• cinnamon

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings salads Ingredients 1 bag chopped kale 1 cup California Prunes 1 delicata squash Cooked with olive oil or olive oil spray, cinnamom, sea salt and pepper 1 Honey Crisp Apple 1 cup pecans Cooked with coconut or olive or spray with cinnamon and pepper 1 can chickpeas Baked in oven with cinnamon, sea salt and pepper 1 tbsp hemp seeds Dressing 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 3 tbsp manuka honey or pure maple syrup 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar sea salt pepper cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bake squash and chickpeas on the same pan in the oven for 35 minutes at 400, drizzled or sprayed with oil of choice (I use olive) and tossed with cinnamon, black pepper and sea salt. Flip halfway through. The goal is for them to be browned and slightly crispy!
2. Bake pecans for 10 minutes, spray with a little bit of oil and sprinkle on pepper and cinnamon
3. Make the dressing, which yields 4 servings and store in a mason jar.
4. Drizzle dressing on kale and massage thoroughly
5. Begin assembling other ingredients to go on top of kale, chopped apples, and prunes
6. Top with squash, chickpeas, and pecans
7. Drizzle on final touch of dressing and hemp seeds for garnish (and added protein)

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